ansuz (@ansuz@gts.cryptography.dog)

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I suspect that a lot of people would be very mad about Bright Data ltd. if they knew more about their business practices. I'm honestly kind of surprised that their behaviour is even legal in places like the EU.<br>They basically act as an intermediary between people who want to scrape data without being blocked and anyone willing to sublet their IP address. Sometimes that's done through ISPs and data-centers, but a surprising amount seems to go through residential IPs.<br>One scenario is that they partner with a manufacturer of so-called "Smart TVs". Consumers buy these appliances, and then have to choose between watching ads or agreeing to some terms of service. Hardly anyone wants to watch ads, so they agree to a massive contract they haven't read. This contract opts them into Bright Data's system, and their "Smart TV" becomes a part of a bot-net which is leased out to Bright Data's customers.

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Jul 21, 2026, 09:43

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