Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the increasing value of data in the digital age and the legal risks associated with web scraping technology, illustrated by a case involving illegal data scraping from a map software company and a retail platform, leading to significant legal consequences for the perpetrators [1][18]. Group 1: Case Overview - In a case handled by the Shanghai Putuo District People's Procuratorate, 800 million lines of data from the restaurant and supermarket sector and over 3 million instances of map data were illegally scraped [1]. - The court sentenced the defendants for illegally accessing computer information systems, with penalties including imprisonment and fines ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 yuan [1][16]. Group 2: Data Scraping Incident - A well-known map software company detected abnormal activity in February 2023, where an unidentified user was scraping between 1 million to 4 million data entries daily, including merchant information and geographic coordinates [1][4]. - Despite the company's rapid response to implement interception mechanisms, the attackers used sophisticated techniques to mimic legitimate user behavior [4]. Group 3: Perpetrators and Techniques - The perpetrators, employed by a technology company, resorted to web scraping due to inefficiencies in normal data collection methods and sought external technical assistance to bypass security measures [6][16]. - The main suspect, Chen, provided scraping interfaces for a fee, enabling the illegal data extraction from various platforms [6][16]. Group 4: Economic Impact Assessment - The economic losses incurred by the affected companies were assessed differently due to their distinct data utilization methods, complicating the valuation of damages [8][10]. - The final determination of losses amounted to over 50,000 yuan, based on the lowest flow cost benchmark due to the inability to retrieve detailed cost records from the time of the incident [12][10]. Group 5: Legal Implications - The article emphasizes that the actions of the defendants violated multiple laws, including the Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Law, highlighting the necessity for legal protection of data [13][18]. - The court recognized the collaborative relationship between the defendants and the technical provider, leading to severe legal consequences for all involved [16][14]. Group 6: Industry Recommendations - Companies are urged to strengthen their data security measures and remain compliant with legal standards to avoid similar incidents, emphasizing the importance of respecting legal boundaries in technological exploration [19][18].

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the emergence of an illegal industry involving the development and sale of "violent customer acquisition" software that exploits user data from short video platforms, leading to significant privacy violations and potential criminal activities [2][5]. Group 1: Illegal Software Development - The accused individuals, including Wei and Tan, developed software to illegally obtain user data from short video platforms, with low development costs and high efficiency [3][4]. - The software was designed to bypass platform security measures, allowing for rapid data extraction, including user IDs, phone numbers, and location information [3][6]. Group 2: Market Dynamics and User Impact - The software was sold in subscription models, with prices ranging from 40 to 140 yuan, targeting internet marketers and individuals involved in illegal activities [4][5]. - The illegal acquisition of user data has led to increased targeted scams and has negatively impacted legitimate businesses by disrupting their customer acquisition efforts [5][8]. Group 3: Legal Proceedings and Challenges - The case has highlighted difficulties in prosecuting such crimes, including evidence collection and tracing the criminal chain due to the anonymity of online transactions [5][6]. - The court's focus was on whether the software constituted a tool for invading computer systems, emphasizing that the method of data acquisition was illegal, regardless of the information's accessibility [6][7]. Group 4: Recommendations for Data Protection - Experts suggest that platforms need to enhance their defenses against "crawler" technologies and improve internal controls to prevent data leaks [7][8]. - There is a call for platforms to adhere to the principle of "minimum necessity" in data collection, ensuring that only essential user data is gathered to mitigate privacy risks [8].