Yes, scraping public data in Finland is generally permitted, but strict compliance with privacy, copyright, and sector-specific laws is required. Public data is accessible under the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities (Laki viranomaisten toiminnan julkisuudesta, 621/1999), yet automated extraction may trigger GDPR or copyright constraints. The Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman (Tietosuojavaltuutettu) and the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto) monitor compliance, with 2026 amendments tightening enforcement on large-scale scraping.
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Finland
- GDPR Compliance: Personal data extracted from public sources must adhere to Article 6 of the GDPR, requiring a lawful basis (e.g., legitimate interest) and strict data minimization. The Finnish Supervisory Authority (Tietosuojavaltuutettu) has fined entities for excessive scraping in 2023–2025.
- Copyright Act (Tekijänoikeuslaki, 404/1961): Publicly available data may be protected if it constitutes a “database” under the EU Database Directive. Unauthorized scraping of copyrighted compilations risks infringement, as seen in the Sanoma v. Google precedent.
- Sector-Specific Restrictions: The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) prohibits scraping vehicle registration data without explicit consent, per the Vehicle Information Act (Ajoneuvojen tietojärjestelmästä, 579/2009). Healthcare and judicial records are similarly shielded under the Health Care Act (Terveydenhuoltolaki, 1326/2010).