Yes, scraping public data in Utah is generally legal if done without violating federal or state privacy laws, but strict compliance with Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is required. Recent 2026 amendments to GRAMA clarify that automated scraping of public records is permissible unless it disrupts government operations or accesses non-disclosable information. The Utah Department of Technology Services (DTS) enforces these rules, emphasizing proportionality in data requests.
Key Regulations for Scraping Public Data in Utah
- GRAMA Compliance: Public records under GRAMA (Utah Code § 63G-2-103) may be scraped unless exempt under § 63G-2-302 (e.g., trade secrets, personal data). Requests must not exceed “reasonable” frequency to avoid burdens on agencies.
- CFAA Restrictions: Automated scraping that bypasses technical barriers (e.g., CAPTCHAs, rate limits) may violate the CFAA (18 U.S.C. § 1030), as Utah courts defer to federal precedent in such cases.
- Local Ordinances: Salt Lake City and Provo have additional data-use policies; scraping municipal datasets requires adherence to their open-data portals’ terms, which may prohibit commercial reuse without permits.
Critical Considerations:
- Attribution: Scraped data must not misrepresent its source or imply endorsement by Utah agencies.
- Retention Limits: GRAMA mandates destruction of scraped records once their purpose is fulfilled unless retained under an active public-records request.
- Enforcement: The Utah State Archives monitors excessive scraping; violations may trigger agency complaints to the Attorney General’s Office.