Yes, web scraping is legal in Colorado if conducted without violating federal or state laws, but strict adherence to copyright, anti-hacking statutes, and consumer protection rules is mandatory. Colorado’s 2026 amendments to the Consumer Protection Act (C.R.S. § 6-1-105) now impose heightened scrutiny on automated data collection, particularly when scraping personal or proprietary data. Businesses must ensure compliance with the Computer Crime Law (C.R.S. § 18-5.5-102) to avoid unauthorized access claims, while the Colorado Privacy Act (C.R.S. § 6-1-1304) may restrict scraping of personal data without explicit consent.
Key Regulations for Web Scraping in Colorado
- Copyright Compliance: Scraping copyrighted content without permission violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 1201) and Colorado’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act (C.R.S. § 7-74-101), risking civil penalties up to $500,000 per violation.
- Anti-Hacking Laws: The Computer Crime Law prohibits accessing systems without authorization (C.R.S. § 18-5.5-102), including bypassing CAPTCHAs or exploiting vulnerabilities to scrape data.
- Data Privacy Restrictions: Under the Colorado Privacy Act (effective 2026), scraping personal data without a “legitimate interest” or consumer consent may trigger enforcement by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, with fines up to $20,000 per violation.
Businesses must also comply with the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. § 45) when scraping consumer data, as deceptive practices (e.g., misrepresenting data use) could lead to investigations. Always review a website’s robots.txt and Terms of Service, as Colorado courts have upheld contractual restrictions on scraping as enforceable under contract law.