Legal Use of Proxies for Business: How to Comply with Cybersecurity Laws

Proxy servers have become an essential tool for arbitrageurs, SMM specialists, and online store owners. However, many still wonder: is it legal to use proxies? Can you get fined for multi-accounting or scraping competitors? In this article, we will analyze the legislation of Russia and other countries so that you know the boundaries of what is permissible.

Spoiler: proxies themselves are completely legal. Problems arise only when you use them for illegal activities—hacking, fraud, or copyright infringement. All other tasks—from launching ads to monitoring prices—are within the legal framework.

Legal Status of Proxy Servers in Russia and the World

Let's start with the main point: proxy servers are a technology, not a crime. In the legislation of most countries, including Russia, the USA, and EU countries, there is no direct prohibition on the use of proxies. They are just as much a tool as a browser or a text editor. Problems arise only when you use proxies for actions that themselves violate the law.

In Russia, proxy servers are regulated indirectly—through laws on personal data protection (152-FZ), communications (126-FZ), and the Criminal Code concerning cybercrimes. None of these documents prohibit the use of proxies as such. Moreover, many large companies officially use proxies to protect corporate networks, monitor competitors, and test services from different regions.

In the USA and Europe, the situation is similar. Proxies are legal, and their sale and purchase do not require special licenses. The only restriction is that you must not use them to violate computer security laws (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in the USA, Directive on Attacks against Information Systems in the EU) or to circumvent sanctions.

Comparison of the Legal Status of Proxies in Different Countries

Legal Use Cases of Proxies for Business

Most tasks for which businesses use proxies are completely legal. Here is a complete list of scenarios that do not violate legislation in any major country:

1. Traffic Arbitrage and Ad Launching

Arbitrageurs use proxies to launch advertising campaigns on Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, and Google Ads from different regions. This allows them to test creatives for local audiences and avoid blocks for multi-accounting. From a legal standpoint, there are no violations here—you pay for advertising, do not deceive users, and do not steal data.

The only nuance is the rules of the advertising platforms themselves. Facebook and Google prohibit the use of multiple accounts by one person, but this is not a legal restriction; it is internal company policy. In the worst case, you will be blocked on the platform, but there will be no fines or criminal liability.

2. SMM and Multi-Accounting on Social Media

SMM specialists manage dozens of client accounts on Instagram, TikTok, VK, and other social networks. They use anti-detect browsers (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin) and residential proxies to make each account appear as a separate user. This is completely legal—you are not breaking the law, just the platform's rules.

Important: if you manage client accounts under a contract and with their consent, there are no legal risks. Problems can only arise if you hack someone else's accounts or use them without the owner's permission—this is already Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (unauthorized access to computer information).

3. Scraping and Price Monitoring on Marketplaces

Online store owners and sellers on Wildberries, Ozon, and Avito use proxies to automatically collect data on competitors' prices, product availability, and ratings. This is called web scraping, and in most countries, it is legal if you only collect public information.

The key word is "public." If the data is available to any user without authorization (prices, product descriptions, reviews), scraping it does not violate the law. However, if you bypass website protection, hack captchas, or collect personal data from users without their consent, that is illegal.

4. Testing Websites and Applications from Different Regions

Developers and marketers use proxies to check how their website or application displays in different countries. For example, you can test the operation of an online store for users from Kazakhstan or the USA without leaving Russia. This is a completely legal practice used by Google, Netflix, and other large companies.

5. Protecting Corporate Networks and Anonymity

Companies use proxy servers to protect their internal networks from external threats, filter traffic, and ensure employee anonymity when working with public resources. This is standard practice in IT security, which is not only legal but also recommended by experts.

What is Definitely Prohibited: Actions Outside the Law

Now let's analyze which actions with proxies are unequivocally illegal and can lead to criminal liability. These prohibitions apply in all countries, regardless of whether you use proxies or not.

1. Hacking and Unauthorized Access to Systems

Using proxies to cover your tracks while hacking websites, databases, or accounts is a crime. In Russia, this is Article 272 of the Criminal Code (unauthorized access to computer information), punishable by up to 7 years in prison. In the USA, a similar crime under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act can lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

2. Fraud and Data Theft

If you use proxies to create phishing websites, steal banking data, or deceive users, that is fraud (Article 159.6 of the Criminal Code for Russia). The punishment can reach up to 10 years in prison. In this case, proxies only aggravate the guilt, as they demonstrate the premeditated nature of the actions.

3. Distribution of Prohibited Content

Using proxies for the anonymous publication of materials prohibited by law (extremism, child pornography, calls for terrorism) does not exempt you from liability. Law enforcement agencies have the technical means to deanonymize users even through proxy chains.

4. DDoS Attacks and Disruption of Services

Organizing DDoS attacks through proxies to take websites down is a crime under Article 273 of the Criminal Code (creation of malicious programs) and Article 272 (unauthorized access). The punishment is up to 7 years in prison.

5. Copyright Infringement for Commercial Purposes

If you use proxies for mass downloading and reselling protected content (movies, music, software), that is a violation of Article 146 of the Criminal Code. Fines can reach up to 500,000 rubles, and in particularly large amounts, imprisonment of up to 6 years is threatened.

Proxies and Platform Rules: Facebook, Instagram, Marketplaces

It is important to distinguish between legislation and the rules of specific platforms. Violating the Terms of Service of Facebook or Wildberries is not a crime but grounds for blocking your account. There is no criminal or administrative liability for this.

Facebook and Instagram (Meta)

Officially, Meta prohibits the use of multiple personal accounts by one person and the automation of actions (likes, subscriptions, messages). But these rules only pertain to the company's internal policy. If you are blocked for multi-accounting, you cannot sue Meta—you agreed to their terms upon registration.

However, using proxies is not prohibited in itself. Meta blocks accounts not for using proxies but for suspicious behavior: sudden IP changes, mass actions, identical browser fingerprints. If you use quality mobile proxies and an anti-detect browser (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower), the risk of blocking is minimal.

TikTok

TikTok also prohibits multi-accounting and automation, but their detection system is less aggressive than Facebook's. The main issue is geolocation blocks. If you manage an account for a Russian audience but access it through an IP from the USA, TikTok may suspect hacking and block the account to protect the user.

The solution is to use proxies from the same country that the account is set up for. For Russian accounts, use Russian proxies; for American accounts, use American proxies.

Wildberries, Ozon, and Other Marketplaces

Marketplaces actively combat scraping, as mass data collection creates a load on their servers. They use captchas, rate limiting, and block suspicious IPs. But these are technical protective measures, not legal prohibitions.

If you scrape public data (prices, product descriptions) for competitor analysis, it does not violate the law. However, if you create excessive load on the server or bypass protection methods that can be considered hacking (for example, exploiting vulnerabilities), this may fall under Article 272 of the Criminal Code.

GDPR and Data Protection: What You Need to Know

If you work with clients from Europe or collect data from European users, you need to consider the requirements of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This is an EU regulation on the protection of personal data that has been in effect since 2018 and provides for fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of the company's annual turnover.

What is Considered Personal Data under GDPR

Personal data is any information that allows identifying a specific person: name, email, phone number, IP address, cookies, browsing history. If you collect such data through proxies (for example, scraping email addresses from websites), you must comply with GDPR.

Main GDPR Requirements When Using Proxies

• Legal Basis for Data Collection: You must have the user's consent or a legitimate interest for processing their data.
• Transparency: If you collect data, the user must be aware of this and have the option to opt-out.
• Data Minimization: Only collect the data that is truly necessary for your task.
• Data Security: Data must be stored in encrypted form and protected from leaks.

An important point: if you only scrape public information that does not relate to personal data (product prices, descriptions, company ratings), GDPR does not apply to you. Problems arise when you collect email addresses, phone numbers, or other user identifiers.

How to Protect Yourself from GDPR Claims

1. Do not collect personal data unnecessarily. If you need price statistics—scrape only prices, not seller contacts.
2. If you collect personal data—create a Privacy Policy on your website and obtain users' consent.
3. Store data in encrypted form and delete it when it is no longer needed.
4. Do not share data with third parties without users' consent.

Features of Russian Legislation on Proxies

In Russia, there is no separate law regulating the use of proxy servers. However, there are several regulations that indirectly affect the legality of their use.

Personal Data Law (152-FZ)

If you collect personal data of Russian citizens (for example, scraping contacts from websites), you must notify Roskomnadzor and ensure the protection of this data. The use of proxies does not violate 152-FZ in itself, but if you collect data illegally or do not protect it properly, the fine can reach up to 500,000 rubles for legal entities.

Communications Law (126-FZ)

This law requires communication operators to store data on user traffic (the so-called "Yarovaya package"). However, it only applies to telecom companies and providers, not end users of proxies. You can safely use proxies for business without fearing a violation of 126-FZ.

Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

As mentioned earlier, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation prohibits specific actions (hacking, fraud, DDoS), not tools. Using proxies for legal tasks does not fall under any article of the Criminal Code.

Laws on Circumventing Blocks

In Russia, some websites and services are blocked (by court decision or Roskomnadzor). Using proxies to access blocked resources is formally not prohibited for individuals—the law punishes only those who help circumvent blocks for commercial purposes (VPN service providers without a license).

However, if you use proxies to access websites blocked for extremism or other serious violations, this may attract the attention of law enforcement agencies. For ordinary business tasks (arbitrage, SMM, scraping), this is not relevant.

How to Protect Your Business from Legal Risks

To use proxies safely and avoid legal issues, follow these recommendations:

1. Use Proxies Only for Legal Tasks

Do not attempt to hack websites, steal data, or deceive users. All these actions are illegal regardless of whether you use proxies or not. Proxies are a tool for increasing the efficiency of legal business, not a way to conceal a crime.

2. Buy Proxies from Legal Providers

Work only with reliable providers that have a legal entity and transparent terms. Avoid "gray" services that may sell hacked or stolen IP addresses. Using such proxies can lead to blocks and even criminal liability if it turns out that the IP belongs to a hacked device.

3. Comply with Platform Rules

Even if multi-accounting does not violate the law, it may violate the Terms of Service of Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms. To minimize the risk of blocks, use quality proxies (residential or mobile), anti-detect browsers, and avoid mass actions.

4. Do Not Collect Personal Data Without Consent

If you scrape websites, collect only public information that does not relate to personal data. If you need to collect contacts or other identifiers, ensure you have a legal basis (user consent or legitimate interest) and comply with the requirements of 152-FZ and GDPR.

5. Keep Documentation

If you manage client accounts or collect data for analytics, formalize contracts and a privacy policy. This will protect you in case of claims from clients or regulators. The documents should clearly describe what data you collect, for what purpose, and how you protect it.

6. Do Not Create Excessive Load on Websites

When scraping, comply with robots.txt and do not send thousands of requests per second. Use delays between requests and rotate proxies to avoid creating load on servers. This is not only ethical but also protects you from accusations of DDoS attacks.

Conclusion

Proxy servers are an absolutely legal tool for business in Russia and most other countries. You can safely use them for launching ads, managing social media, scraping marketplaces, and other tasks without fearing criminal or administrative liability.

Problems arise only when you use proxies for actions that are themselves illegal: hacking, fraud, data theft, or DDoS attacks. In all other cases, proxies are just a technology that helps you work more efficiently and safely.

The main thing is to follow three simple rules: do not break the law, buy proxies from reliable providers, and respect the rules of the platforms you work with. If you adhere to these principles, proxies will become a powerful tool for growing your business without any legal risks.

If you plan to use proxies for traffic arbitrage, SMM, or e-commerce, we recommend starting with residential proxies—they provide maximum anonymity and minimal risk of blocks on platforms. For working with mobile applications and social media, mobile proxies are perfect, as they mimic real smartphone users.