Is Extracting Emails from Websites Legal?

Extracting emails from websites, often referred to as email scraping, is a common practice in the digital world. Businesses may find it tempting to use such techniques to grow their email lists quickly, but this approach raises important legal and ethical concerns. Whether it’s legal depends on the jurisdiction, the methods used, and how the collected data is handled.

What Is Email Extraction?

Email extraction involves using software or scripts to collect email addresses from websites. These tools scan websites for email patterns, harvesting addresses that are often displayed on public pages. While this technique is widely used, it has significant legal and ethical implications.