As a proxy provider, Proxidize operates in an industry that has been an incredible force for good. Our products and tools have always been developed to both make the world a better place and turn a profit. Proxidize was founded on the belief that unhindered access to data can allow people to make more informed decisions, which is a net positive for humanity overall. With that being said, we also acknowledge that proxies, and the anonymity they help provide, can be used for evil when they are placed in the wrong hands.
Alongside our expression of commitment to the ethical sourcing of IPs, this text serves to reiterate our commitment to the legal use of proxy technology and thereby also hopefully deter bad actors from considering Proxidize as a source of their proxies.
Legal Compliance
Proxidize is incorporated in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Both the UK and the US have laws that define cybercrimes. Neither’s laws mention proxy servers. Using a proxy to commit a crime is illegal in the same way using a kitchen knife to commit a crime is illegal — the act is illegal, the tool used to commit it is not.
Cybercrimes and Data Laws in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the law does not express itself about proxy servers or their use. Cybercrimes laws in the UK are laid out across several pieces of legislation. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 criminalizes unlawful access to computers, using those to commit further offenses, and modifying or impairing computers or networks in an unlawful way.
Under the UK’s Data Protection Act 2018, a company is obliged to protect users’ personal data, from IP addresses, connection logs, and identifying information. As the UK’s poxt-Brexit GDPR equivalent, it lays out the obligations a British company has in protecting personal customer data, all of which Proxidize complies with.
Cybercrimes and Data Laws in the United States
The use of proxy servers is not illegal in the United States. Like the UK, the US Code defines cybercrimes across several pieces of legislation, most notably the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Stored Communications Act (SCA). This is where it defines, among other things, unlawful access to a computer; using a computer to commit fraud, identity theft, and copyright infringement; transmitting data that does the same; among other acts.
In the US, the burden falls to the proxy provider to ensure its customers are not using their systems for criminal activity. That is why Proxidize is committed to KYC as it relates to anything beyond basic activities.
Proxy providers, under the SCA, have an obligation to responsibly handle user data responsibly, maintain user privacy, and cooperate fully with law enforcement as the need arises. Proxidize is fully compliant with all its legal obligations.
Law Enforcement Cooperation
Proxidize has and continues to work with law enforcement agencies around the world, as is required by law. In the UK, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 lays companies’ legal obligation to comply with interception warrants and notices of communications data, technical capability, and retention. In the US, companies are legally obligated to comply with subpoenas, court orders, search warrants, national security letters, and other lawful orders.
Data Protection & Compliance Standards
Alongside its legal obligations, Proxidize takes seriously its organizational commitment to building a sustainable, ethical, and fully compliant business, especially as it relates to the safety and privacy of our customers and their data. To that end Proxidize is actively pursuing, and is in the final stages of receiving, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification. Additionally, all Proxidize hardware is CE and FCC certified and exclusively uses chipsets sourced from US-based manufacturers.
Proxidize Proxies are strictly monitored for legal usage and use cases that require access to sensitive sites such as banks and payment processors require users to pass rigorous KYC screening before receiving manual approval.
We do not monitor the logs of users of Proxy Builder, which facilitates the creation of a user’s personal proxy server. A user’s privacy is fully respected, but Proxidize does take all reasonable measures to ensure its hardware and software is used in accordance with the law. Should a user use Proxidize hardware in illegal ways, service to that user is immediately terminated. Furthermore, we prohibit any illegal alteration or manipulation of our hardware’s identifiers.
Conclusion
Proxidize is committed to empowering automation and web scraping around the world as part of our ongoing belief in data democratization. That commitment, and our continuing cooperation with law enforcement, is rooted in our belief that our industry is a force for good and should never be used to empower or embolden criminals.