internet
Is using a bot to post data to a system that doesn&#39;t have an API (via a &quot;Ghost Browser&quot; such as Selenium) illegal?
<p>I am looking at creating a consolidation like service that posts data of the same type* across a network of third-party websites, most of which do not have open, or free APIs.  </p>

<p>If you used Selenium or something of the like to take the data from your own system and submit it as normal users would, for free, to a target site, is this illegal?</p>

<p>For none of these services would I be using my own "paid license" to post data on behalf of users who do not have a license.  All of these services are free, but I am not sure if you could get into trouble by posting data on behalf of a real user to a third party system.</p>

<p>Additionally, it's worth noting that these would NOT be 'spam' submissions.  The data is real, but the way it is posted would not be by the user directly, but instead via a "ghost browser" submission.  The data posted is verbatim to that of what a real user intended to post.</p>

<p>If you had the target site's terms for submission on your own site, should that suffice?</p>

<p>It depends on the will of the target site owners.</p>

<p>A good analogy is a private piece of land (e.g. a park) where the public is allowed on foot but not on any sort of vehicle. Would it be illegal to drive in such a park despite the owner's will? Not initially (because the will is not a law). But the owner can ask you to leave, and if you persist you commit trespassing (which is illegal).</p>

<p>Moreover, if you cause damage to the park by driving a vehicle despite seeing the sign "No vehicles" you could be successfully sued for the damage.</p>

<p>With websites it is pretty much the same. Often they have terms of use which explicitly say along the lines that access by any means other than human being via a web browser is prohibited. If a site doesn't have such terms you could use your technology until asked to stop. If you persist, the site owner could obtain a court injunction to stop you, and if you break that now you break the law. Also, if your technology causes loss to the site (e.g. by overloading) you again could be successfully sued for that loss.</p>
