X · X Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Acceptable Use and Anti-Scraping Restriction

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

You can only access X through its official apps and website; scraping X's data or bypassing its technical restrictions without written permission is prohibited.

This analysis describes what X's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The explicit prohibition on scraping without express written permission has direct implications for researchers, journalists, and third-party developers who previously accessed public data; the requirement for express written permission sets a clear contractual threshold for permissible automated data access.

Interpretive note: The enforceability of ToS-based scraping prohibitions under CFAA and applicable competition law remains an area of legal uncertainty following recent US case law developments.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
May 10, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 646 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Researchers, journalists, and developers who use automated tools to access X data without X's written permission may be in violation of these terms. The prohibition also extends to circumventing technical limitations, which may affect accessibility tools or third-party X clients.

How other platforms handle this

Minecraft Medium

Do not use our name or logo in ways that could imply an official partnership or endorsement without our permission. This includes not naming your project in a way that could make people think it is an official Minecraft product.

Kajabi Medium

"Content" means anything you or your Customers create or make available through the Service in connection with your Account, including your intellectual property (e.g. trademarks, trade names, service marks, and copyrighted works); the products or services you offer (e.g., courses, coaching, members...

ConvertKit Medium

By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your Content you grant Kit, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Content in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses including, without limitation, the rights to: copy, distribute, trans...

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
You may not access the Services in any way other than through the currently available, published interfaces that we provide. For example, this means that you cannot scrape the Services without X's express written permission, try to work around any technical limitations we impose, or otherwise attempt to disrupt the operation of the Services.

— Excerpt from X's X Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Anti-scraping provisions may interact with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the US, where unauthorized access to computer systems is prohibited; however, the scope of CFAA liability for ToS-based access restrictions remains contested following the Supreme Court's decision in Van Buren v. United States (2021). In the EU, the Database Directive and DSA transparency obligations for researchers may create tension with blanket scraping prohibitions. The FTC and DOJ may have interests where scraping restrictions affect competition or journalistic activity. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The scraping prohibition is a standard platform provision but carries elevated significance given X's changes to API access pricing and availability since 2022. Organizations that previously relied on public data access via the API should review current API terms and whether their access is covered by a valid agreement. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU DSA Article 40 requires platforms to provide data access to vetted researchers; this statutory obligation may limit the enforceability of blanket scraping prohibitions against qualifying researchers in the EU. US case law on ToS-based scraping restrictions is still evolving. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: B2B partners, analytics providers, and research organizations that access X data should confirm they have valid written permission or API agreements covering their use cases. Organizations relying on third-party data vendors who aggregate X data should assess whether those vendors' access is authorized. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Data procurement teams should audit any automated X data collection pipelines and confirm written permission exists. Organizations engaged in academic or public interest research should assess whether EU DSA researcher access provisions provide an applicable pathway.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC may have interest where scraping restrictions affect competitive data access or consumer protection research capabilities.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

DSA
European Union

Provision details

Document information
Document
X Terms of Service
Entity
X
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 7, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008733
Document ID
CA-D-00029
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
157cf8382f333ca75bb590d99d0b0e5078079fbbe34320af1b6c3ce027f13d45
Analysis generated
May 7, 2026 22:56 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: X
Document: X Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-008733
Captured: 2026-05-07 22:56:42 UTC
SHA-256: 157cf8382f333ca7…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/x/x-terms-of-service/acceptable-use-and-anti-scraping-restriction/
Accessed: July 4, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does X's Acceptable Use and Anti-Scraping Restriction clause do?

The explicit prohibition on scraping without express written permission has direct implications for researchers, journalists, and third-party developers who previously accessed public data; the requirement for express written permission sets a clear contractual threshold for permissible automated data access.

How does this clause affect you?

Researchers, journalists, and developers who use automated tools to access X data without X's written permission may be in violation of these terms. The prohibition also extends to circumventing technical limitations, which may affect accessibility tools or third-party X clients.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with X?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by X.