Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Web scraping has been popular across different fields. Digital platforms have developed data access policies that regulate practices. As most data access policies remain highly fragmented, this study examines how platforms govern data scraping through their publicly stated data access policies. From a novel dataset of 48 digital platforms operated by S&P 500 companies, we conduct a comparative analysis of scraping-related policy texts. For scalable analysis, we employ a hybrid approach that combines natural language processing techniques with human verification to systematically extract and classify policy provisions related to access permissions, purpose restrictions, and enforcement mechanisms, among others. This proposed framework of data access comparative analysis aims to offer theoretical insights for future related research, as well as meaningful practical guidance for policymakers, developers, and researchers navigating an increasingly complex landscape of platform-mediated data access.
Paper Number
1773
Recommended Citation
Nguyen, Ngoc Hoang Minh; Nguyen, Huan Hong; Nguyen, Minh; and Tran, Thi, "Data governance across digital platforms: A comparative analysis of data scraping policies" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 21.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/sigadit/sigadit/21
Data governance across digital platforms: A comparative analysis of data scraping policies
Web scraping has been popular across different fields. Digital platforms have developed data access policies that regulate practices. As most data access policies remain highly fragmented, this study examines how platforms govern data scraping through their publicly stated data access policies. From a novel dataset of 48 digital platforms operated by S&P 500 companies, we conduct a comparative analysis of scraping-related policy texts. For scalable analysis, we employ a hybrid approach that combines natural language processing techniques with human verification to systematically extract and classify policy provisions related to access permissions, purpose restrictions, and enforcement mechanisms, among others. This proposed framework of data access comparative analysis aims to offer theoretical insights for future related research, as well as meaningful practical guidance for policymakers, developers, and researchers navigating an increasingly complex landscape of platform-mediated data access.
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