Yes, scraping public data in Washington, D.C. is generally legal, but compliance hinges on adherence to local and federal restrictions. The District’s Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) govern public records, while the D.C. Council’s 2024 amendments to the Data Act impose stricter transparency obligations on agencies. Automated scraping may violate terms of service or anti-bot provisions if data is hosted on non-public platforms, even if the underlying data is public.
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Washington D.C.
- D.C. FOIA (D.C. Official Code § 2-531 et seq.): Requires agencies to disclose public records upon request, but does not explicitly authorize automated scraping. Exemptions include records subject to privacy protections under the D.C. Personal Information Protection Act.
- D.C. Data Act (2024 amendments): Mandates machine-readable formats for public datasets, but prohibits scraping if it disrupts agency operations or violates API rate limits. Agencies must publish scraping policies by 2026.
- Anti-Bot Provisions (D.C. Code § 22-3226): Criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems, including scraping if it bypasses authentication or violates website terms of service.
Scraping public data from D.C. government websites is permissible if the data is truly public, accessible without restriction, and not protected by privacy laws. However, scraping from third-party platforms hosting D.C. data (e.g., vendor portals) risks violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) or the D.C. Anti-Hacking Law. Entities should consult the D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) for guidance on agency-specific scraping policies.