Yes, scraping public data in Chile is generally permissible, but strict compliance with local privacy and data protection laws is mandatory. Publicly accessible information may be collected unless explicitly restricted by sector-specific regulations or contractual terms. The 2026 amendments to Law No. 19.628 (Data Protection Act) introduce stricter penalties for unauthorized processing, requiring scrapers to verify data sources and purposes.
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Chile
- Law No. 19.628 (Data Protection Act): Prohibits processing personal data without consent unless the data is anonymized or publicly available. Scrapers must ensure no sensitive data (e.g., health, biometric, or financial records) is extracted without legal basis.
- Decree No. 170 (2021): Mandates transparency in automated data collection, requiring scrapers to disclose their identity and purpose to the Servicio Nacional de Protección de Datos Personales (SERNAC) upon request.
- Sector-Specific Restrictions: The Superintendencia de Bancos e Instituciones Financieras (SBIF) and Superintendencia de Salud prohibit scraping regulated financial or health data, even if public-facing, without prior authorization.
Violations may trigger fines up to 10,000 UTM (~$1.1M USD in 2024) or criminal liability under the Código Penal for unauthorized data use. Public-sector datasets (e.g., Datos.gob.cl) often include licensing terms; adherence is non-negotiable.