By The PhantomBuster TeamIs scraping LinkedIn legal? It’s a common question for anyone looking to collect valuable information for lead generation or research.
The short answer is that scraping publicly accessible data is allowed, but there are important legal and ethical guidelines to follow.
In this article, we’ll break down the legality of LinkedIn data scraping and show how web scraping tools like PhantomBuster help you scrape responsibly while staying compliant.
AI highlights
Web scraping is legal when you stick to public data and respect the terms of service. However, accessing restricted information or bypassing security measures can lead to legal issues under laws like the CFAA.
Scraping publicly accessible LinkedIn data is legal under the CFAA, as confirmed in the hiQ Labs, Inc. v. LinkedIn Corp case, but accessing private or restricted information or violating LinkedIn's terms of service can lead to legal issues.
LinkedIn can ban you or restrict your account if your activity violates its terms of service, such as making excessive requests or bypassing security measures, so using tools that respect limits and mimic human behavior is key to staying safe.
PhantomBuster is a legal scraping tool designed to collect publicly available data while complying with GDPR. In other words, it's a reliable and ethical way to gather data.
Using PhantomBuster, you can scrape publicly accessible LinkedIn data, including profile details, LinkedIn activity, and user engagement, while staying legal and responsible.
Here's how to automate LinkedIn data scraping while staying compliant:
Respect users' privacy by only scraping public data: Focus on publicly accessible data and avoid collecting sensitive or private information, which can violate laws like GDPR or LinkedIn’s terms of service. Tools like PhantomBuster only work with public data, helping you stay within legal boundaries.
Only scrape data from your own LinkedIn account: This makes scraping transparent and keeps you within LinkedIn's rules, while scraping with fake accounts or bypassing restrictions can lead to serious consequences.
Imitate human behavior by spreading your data-scraping actions: Spread out actions like profile visits and connection requests. LinkedIn monitors for unusual patterns, so spreading tasks over time mimics natural activity and reduces risks.
Start slow and warm up your LinkedIn account: Build trust gradually, and you won't raise red flags. Begin with light actions, like a few profile views or connection requests, and increase over time.
Respect the recommended rate limits for LinkedIn data scraping: LinkedIn sets limits to prevent spam-like behavior. Keep these limits in mind so you don't cross the line.
Is scraping data legal?
Web scraping, or data scraping, is collecting public information from websites.
It can be anything from job postings to social media profiles to reviews. For instance, you can scrape LinkedIn data for names, job titles, and companies.
When it comes to legality, scraping falls into a grey area. Whether it's considered legal or not largely depends on two factors—how you access the data and how you use it.
In general, scraping is okay if the data is public and you don't violate the website's terms of service. But if you bypass security measures or misuse the data, you may be breaking laws.
In short, data scrapers are not illegal.
It’s the intent and method that can raise ethical and legal concerns:
If used responsibly and within legal boundaries, web scraping can be a powerful tool for data enrichment and LinkedIn outreach.
However, misuse—like collecting sensitive or private information without consent—can lead to legal complications.
What is the Computer Fraud And Abuse Act (CFAA)?
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is a U.S. law that protects computers and networks from unauthorized access.
It was introduced in 1986 to address hacking and other online security threats.
The CFAA is often mentioned in discussions about web scraping because it prohibits accessing computers or networks without permission or going beyond what’s allowed.
For scraping, this usually comes up when someone bypasses security measures or accesses data that isn’t publicly available.
While the CFAA does not directly outlaw scraping, violating a website’s terms of service could lead to legal challenges.
Is scraping LinkedIn data legal?
Scraping LinkedIn data is a complex topic, but a key court case has provided some clarity.
The short answer—scraping publicly available LinkedIn data is not considered a violation of the law as long as no restricted or private data is accessed.
hiQ Labs, Inc. v. LinkedIn Corp court decision
In the hiQ Labs Inc. v. LinkedIn Corp case, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in April 2022 that scraping publicly available data does not violate the CFAA.
This decision leaned on a June 2021 Supreme Court ruling, which narrowed the definition of what constitutes "unauthorized access" under the CFAA.
The court used the analogy of a "gate-up, gate-down" system. If the information is publicly accessible—like LinkedIn profiles that aren't behind login walls—then no special authorization is needed to access it.
The ruling emphasized that exceeding terms of service doesn’t equate to criminal behavior under the CFAA.
In simple terms, scraping LinkedIn public data is legally permissible.
However, scraping private or restricted information—or ignoring LinkedIn's terms of service—could still lead to legal challenges outside the CFAA.
Always tread carefully and stay compliant.
Can you get banned from scraping LinkedIn?
Yes, LinkedIn can ban you or restrict your account if it detects scraping activity violating its terms of service.
LinkedIn actively monitors its platform for automated scraping and may block accounts or IP addresses that trigger red flags.
These include making too many requests quickly, scraping private data, or bypassing security measures like CAPTCHAs.
While scraping public data is legal in many cases, LinkedIn's terms of service explicitly prohibit using bots or scripts to extract data.
To avoid getting banned, use LinkedIn automation tools that respect platform limits and mimic human behavior.
Staying within LinkedIn's guidelines while scraping publicly available data can help minimize risks.
Is PhantomBuster legal?
Yes, PhantomBuster is legal. It automates publicly available data collection, which is allowed when conducted responsibly and ethically.
PhantomBuster complies with GDPR and data protection laws.
The platform focuses only on public information and doesn't breach a website’s terms of service.
In short, PhantomBuster provides a compliant and ethical scraping solution for businesses looking to automate data gathering responsibly while staying within legal boundaries.
What types of LinkedIn data does PhantomBuster scrape?
PhantomBuster only scrapes publicly accessible data from LinkedIn, making it an ethical and legal automation software.
Here are some examples of the types of scraped data you can collect using PhantomBuster:
LinkedIn profile data: Extract names, job titles, locations, and companies from public LinkedIn profiles. You can also scrape profiles from other platforms, such as Sales Navigator.
Activity on LinkedIn: You can extract every post, plus the number of likes and comments from a list of LinkedIn profiles.
List of people engaging with a specific company's content: Identify LinkedIn users interacting with a company's posts.
How to automate LinkedIn data scraping while staying compliant
Scraping LinkedIn data can save you time, increase productivity, and help you reach your goals faster, but it can have ethical and legal implications.
Being compliant isn't just about avoiding trouble. It's also about keeping your LinkedIn account safe and working ethically.
PhantomBuster makes this easier with tools designed to work responsibly. Let’s break this down so you know exactly what to do.
Respect users' privacy by only scraping public data
When scraping data, it’s important to focus only on what’s publicly available. This means anyone can access data like names, job titles, or public posts.
It matters because scraping private or sensitive data can violate privacy laws, like GDPR, and may even get your LinkedIn account banned.
PhantomBuster makes this simple by only letting you collect data you can access through your LinkedIn account.
You can trust that you’re working ethically and within legal boundaries.
Only scrape data through your own LinkedIn account
This one is critical. Always use your real LinkedIn account to scrape data, whether you have a free or paid account.
Why? It keeps things transparent and ensures you’re only collecting information you’re allowed to see.
Relying on fake accounts or other methods to bypass restrictions can put your account at risk and lead to serious consequences.
PhantomBuster integrates directly with your LinkedIn account. Unlike other web scrapers, it doesn’t fake interactions or create dummy profiles.
Instead, it helps you automate tasks like visiting profiles, gathering profile data, or engaging with posts in a way that aligns with LinkedIn’s terms of service.
This keeps your actions honest and your account safe.
Imitate human behavior by spreading your data-scraping actions
If you’ve ever scrolled LinkedIn, you know that no one visits 500 profiles or sends 200 connection requests in five minutes.
LinkedIn monitors activity for patterns and actions that look robotic or excessive, which can trigger warnings—or worse, bans.
Spacing out your actions makes them look natural, which is crucial for keeping your account in good standing.
PhantomBuster lets you set delays between actions and schedule tasks throughout the day.
This creates a pattern that feels human, making your automation blend in seamlessly.
Whether visiting profiles or sending messages, you can adjust the pace to stay under LinkedIn’s radar.
Start slow and warm up your LinkedIn account
When you start automating, less is more. A new or inactive LinkedIn account can’t suddenly handle heavy activity—it will raise suspicions.
Establish a slow pace for your LinkedIn automation with small tasks, like a few connection requests or profile visits, and gradually increase as your account becomes more active.
PhantomBuster makes this easy with tools that allow you to scale up safely.
You can start slow and increase your actions over time, keeping your account activity natural.
This approach builds trust with LinkedIn and lowers the risk of being flagged.
Respect the recommended rate limits for LinkedIn data scraping
Every platform has limits, and LinkedIn is no exception.
Whether it’s the number of connection requests you can send or the number of profiles you can visit, these limits prevent spammy behavior.
Ignoring them puts your account at risk, no matter how careful you are with other aspects of automation.
PhantomBuster includes recommended settings to help you stay within LinkedIn’s rate limits.
These guidelines take the guesswork out of automation and ensure you stay productive without crossing any lines.
The goal is to keep your account safe while still getting what you want.
Conclusion
Scraping LinkedIn data can be a legal and effective way to gather valuable insights, as long as you stick to publicly available information and follow ethical practices.
PhantomBuster is one of the best LinkedIn scraping tools. It is designed to help you automate the process while complying with privacy laws and LinkedIn’s guidelines.
Curious to see how it works? Start your free trial with PhantomBuster today and scrape smarter.
