Yes, web scraping is legal in the Czech Republic under specific conditions, but it must comply with EU and domestic data protection laws. The legality hinges on whether the scraped data is publicly accessible, non-personal, and used in compliance with copyright and competition regulations. The Office for Personal Data Protection (ÚOOÚ) and the Czech Competition Authority (ČOI) enforce these rules, with 2026 amendments to the Civil Code tightening restrictions on automated data extraction.
Key Regulations for Web Scraping in Czech Republic
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Scraping personal data without explicit consent violates GDPR, as enforced by ÚOOÚ. Automated collection of identifiable information (e.g., emails) triggers strict compliance obligations.
- Copyright Act (No. 121/2000 Sb.): Extracting copyrighted content (e.g., articles, images) without permission constitutes infringement, unless covered by fair use exceptions (e.g., research or criticism).
- Act on Protection of Competition (No. 262/2017 Sb.): Aggressive scraping that disrupts competitors’ services or breaches terms of service may be deemed unfair competition, per ČOI’s 2025 guidance on digital market practices.
Automated scraping of non-personal, public data (e.g., product listings without copyright) is permissible, but dynamic IP blocking or CAPTCHAs must be respected. The 2026 Civil Code amendments introduce stricter penalties for unauthorized data aggregation, particularly in commercial contexts. Entities must document scraping purposes and implement technical safeguards to avoid ÚOOÚ enforcement actions.