Web scraping has become a must-have technique for any serious data-driven business. By harvesting large volumes of data from websites, companies gain valuable insights around competitors, markets, trends and more. However, many websites actively block and interfere with scrapers using various bot detection methods. This is where residential proxies come in.
Residential proxies utilize the IP addresses of real user devices like mobile phones and laptops. This allows them to imitate organic human visitors to evade anti-bot measures. The demand for residential proxies is massive – over 80% of companies rely on them for web scraping and data collection. However, obtaining quality residential proxies at scale has often involved unethical practices.
Oxylabs has charted a radically different course in procuring over 100 million residential IPs based on transparency, fair compensation and ethics. This approach has made them the world‘s largest and most trusted provider of proxy services for web data harvesting.
The web scraping boom drives proxy demand
Web scraping tools and services are experiencing staggering growth as companies race to leverage data. Recent reports project the web scraping market to reach $13.7 billion by 2026. Proxies are the enabling technology allowing most scrapers to function undetected.
Unfortunately, many websites detect and block scrapers using:
- IP rate limiting
- CAPTCHAs
- Blocking known data center IPs
- Behavior analysis
Residential proxies help scrapers circumvent these restrictions by routing requests through real user devices like phones and laptops. Their organic IP addresses and behaviors make them hard to distinguish from human users.
A 2021 survey found over 80% of companies using web scraping rely on residential proxies. And the demand is still growing rapidly.
However, obtaining quality residential proxies at scale has historically been an ethical minefield.
The dark side of residential proxies
While residential proxies are indispensable for web scraping, many providers have resorted to questionable methods to build up proxy inventory.
Some common unethical tactics include:
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Tricking users into installing apps or browser extensions that quietly route device traffic through a proxy network. Users are unaware their device is being used.
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Bundling proxy apps with other software like VPNs during installation. The true purpose is obscured.
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Using vague, misleading terms of service when users sign up for certain apps or services that grant broad permissions to their device resources.
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Exploiting loopholes in public WiFi terms of service to gain proxy IPs, albeit from unknown devices.
These opaque practices cast a negative light on the proxy industry. Worse still, proxies obtained unethically tend to be of poor quality:
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High failure rates as unaware users turn devices on and off.
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Slow, unstable connections via users‘ home WiFi networks.
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No transparency or controls for proxy users leads to more blocks.
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Legal risks from regulators cracking down on non-consensual data harvesting.
Oxylabs realized early on that an ethical, mutually beneficial approach is the only way to build a reliable and sustainable residential proxy solution.
Oxylabs leads with ethics and transparency
Since its founding, Oxylabs has focused on procuring residential proxies based on informed consent, fair rewards for users, and complete transparency.
They thoroughly vet and set strict contractual terms for all residential proxy partners, requiring:
- Explicit opt-in from users to join the proxy network
- Easy proxy status monitoring and account management
- Reasonable rewards provided for sharing device resources
This ensures users understand exactly how their device will be used for proxies. In turn, Oxylabs guarantees their residential proxies meet the highest standards of quality and reliability.
Over the years, this ethical approach has allowed Oxylabs to build the world‘s largest network of residential proxies. They recently crossed an amazing milestone:
- Over 100 million residential IPs globally and growing
- The largest pool of transparent, consent-based proxies anywhere
Oxylabs residential proxy network growth over the years. Source: Oxylabs
At over 100 million and counting, Oxylabs has cemented its status as the #1 provider of premium residential proxies. Even more importantly, every one of these IPs adheres to their ethical proxy standards.
Let‘s look at how Oxylabs leverages this massive proxy pool to power its industry-leading data harvesting solutions.
Oxylabs proxy network enables powerful web data extraction tools
With over 100 million residential IPs spanning mobile networks globally, Oxylabs possesses unmatched proxy inventory. This enormous proxy pool is the foundation for their full suite of web data harvesting products:
- Residential proxy plans with unlimited harvester IPs
- High-performance datacenter proxies
- WebScraper API for turnkey scraping infrastructure
- Web Unblocker to access any site restriction-free
- Custom proxy solutions for unique use cases
Here are just some examples of how businesses use Oxylabs proxies to power their web scraping and data collection initiatives:
- Ecommerce companies monitor competitor prices across regions
- Ad verification services check ad placements on thousands of sites per day
- Social media tools extract public data for influencer research and analytics
- Travel metasearch engines aggregate flight/hotel results from dozens of providers
- Market researchers gather upto-date product info, reviews, content
- Mobile ad fraud prevention requires large-scale traffic analysis
- SEO agencies perform wide domain authority analysis
- Price tracking services collect pricing data from retail sites
The use cases are endless. Oxylabs‘ massive proxy network enables these activities at any scale.
And proxies are just one piece of their solution…
Oxylabs complete approach to ethical web scraping
While their 100M+ residential proxies are a key asset, Oxylabs provides a full-stack solution for web harvesting:
- Advanced proxy management platform offering granular controls and monitoring.
- Proprietary network monitoring tools to ensure optimal proxy performance.
- Next gen infrastructure with proxies distributed across 1300+ locations globally.
- Powerful data extraction tools like their Headless Browser API.
- Suite of tutorials, docs, and support to guide your scraping project.
Their focus remains on ethics and compliance with fair usage standards. Oxylabs acts as your trusted data partner, not just a proxy provider.
As Julius Cerniauskas, Oxylabs CEO puts it:
"We aim to bring order and fairness to the chaotic proxy space. Our success shows that taking an ethical approach is not at odds with building a high-performing web data business."
Many analysts agree that Oxylabs has pioneered a better model for the proxy industry.
The future of ethical proxies
Oxylabs‘ rapid growth signals that the tide is turning towards greater transparency in the residential proxy market. Their ethical proxy model balances the incentives of proxy providers, clients, and users – creating a sustainable ecosystem.
While murky proxy sourcing tactics still persist, regulators are also ramping up enforcement around data harvesting transparency and consent requirements. This will further necessitate an ethical approach.
The future looks bright for companies like Oxylabs leading the way with consent-based proxy networks. As they continue to drive innovation and scale in the space, it sets positive standards that others must match.
Already, Oxylabs has cemented itself as the premier brand for quality proxies and web data extraction tools. Their residential proxy pool now exceeds 100 million, and they show no signs of slowing down.
For any business seeking to leverage web data at scale, Oxylabs provides the ideal proxy solutions and supporting technology to make it happen – legally, ethically, and efficiently. The results speak for themselves.
So when you need residential proxies for your next web scraping or data harvesting project, choose the partner with sheer scale, advanced tools, and most importantly — an unwavering commitment to ethics.
