Google Takes Legal Action Against Data Scraper SerpApi
On December 19, 2025, Google intensified its campaign against data scrapers, initiating a federal lawsuit in California against SerpApi, a Texas-based entity accused of executing hundreds of millions of counterfeit search queries to expropriate copyrighted content from search results.
The lawsuit outlines allegations that SerpApi circumvented Google’s security protocols to collect and resell this information, thereby contributing to a burgeoning market for datasets utilized in artificial intelligence training.
This legal initiative emerges amid escalating tensions surrounding web scraping, with Google branding SerpApi a habitual offender that exploits content “for free at an astonishing scale.”
Halimah DeLaine Prado, Google’s general counsel, articulated in a company blog post that this lawsuit is aimed at eradicating “unlawful scraping” following a series of ignored warnings. Meanwhile, SerpApi, which promotes itself as a provider of search APIs, has yet to respond to inquiries for comment.
Allegations of Systematic Evasion
The complaint paints a vivid picture of systematic circumvention. It alleges that SerpApi employed bots to mimic human searches, skillfully rotating IP addresses and user agents to evade rate limits and CAPTCHAs.
This operation purportedly generated over 300 million queries in a single year, capturing snippets, images, and links shielded by copyright protections.
Google asserts that SerpApi restructured this data into APIs that were sold to developers, including those constructing AI models.
“They circumvent security measures designed to protect copyrighted content appearing in Google search results,” claimed Search Engine Land, mirroring the key accusation aligned with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Fake Queries Fuel Data Empire
Court documents elucidate SerpApi’s alleged employment of “fake searches” to access premium content from various publishers, including news organizations and review platforms.
Reports from Reuters disclose that the lawsuit accuses the company of leveraging “hundreds of millions of fake Google search requests” to pilfer material, drawing comparisons to a prior lawsuit involving Reddit that targeted similar scrapers facilitating AI company Perplexity.
This marks not Google’s inaugural conflict with scraping issues. Earlier in 2024, a broader lawsuit against Google, regarding AI training data scraping, was dismissed by a federal court; however, the case against SerpApi specifically addresses direct breaches of both Google’s terms and federal copyright law, as noted by Bloomberg Law.
Broader Industry Ripples
The case underscores fissures within the data access ecosystem. SerpApi’s services have fueled a myriad of applications by offering structured Google search data, yet Google contends this undermines its significant investments in crawling and indexing.
Observers within the industry have noted parallels to ongoing conflicts, with ad tech executive Jason Kint posting on X, quipping, “That’s rich. It’s like when Facebook sued a company for stealing its user data,” alluding to perceived hypocrisy from major tech firms.
In light of surging AI demand, scrapers such as SerpApi flourish by exploiting voids left by restricted APIs. Google’s lawsuit seeks injunctions, damages, and the eradication of scraped datasets, potentially chilling the over $1 billion scraping market.
Technical Tactics Exposed
Delving deeper into the allegations, Google elucidates SerpApi’s operational arsenal: headless browsers designed to replicate Chrome, proxy rotations via data centers, and query randomization techniques to avoid detection.
Even after implementing blocks on well-known IPs, SerpApi is said to have transitioned to residential proxies, sustaining a volume of queries comparable to major enterprises.
The Verge highlighted how this “astonishing scale” of scraping evaded protective measures, with Google estimating billions in losses incurred by content creators whose works appeared in the search results.
SerpApi’s pricing structure—$5,000 per month for high-volume access—underscores the lucrative nature of this sector.
Legal Precedents and Stakes
This lawsuit builds upon established DMCA precedents where courts have upheld anti-circumvention claims against scrapers. Unlike the fair use defenses commonly invoked in AI training disputes, Google’s focus on security breaches fortifies its legal standing.
Reuters reported that the lawsuit’s timing coincides with ongoing EU investigations into data practices, amplifying scrutiny on U.S. firms.
Established in 2016, SerpApi claims to serve over 10,000 customers, positioning the outcome of this litigation as a pivotal moment for API providers dependent on publicly available search data.
Publisher Backlash Builds
Publishers, long exasperated by unremunerated appearances in search results, largely view this lawsuit positively. Prior legal actions from Reddit against SerpApi and others allegedly involved in stealing for Perplexity’s engine effectively bolster Google’s claims, despite the omission of the AI startup’s name.
Search Engine Land reported that Google remains committed to “combating this abuse” through both technological and legal avenues.
Discussions on X reveal divided opinions: while some criticize perceived overreach by large tech entities, others commend measures aimed at safeguarding creators amidst the data voracity of AI.
Future of Search Data Access
Google’s legal maneuver indicates a tactical shift towards rigorous enforcement, potentially ushering in stricter rate limitations or paid APIs. For SerpApi, the lawsuit poses a significant threat to its operations unless it is resolved expeditiously.
One post on X encapsulated the industry’s irony, suggesting that big tech’s role as data guardians invites scrutiny of its own practices.
Bloomberg Law emphasized Google’s previous victory in dodging a scraping-related lawsuit, yet this aggressive stance tests the judicial tolerance for platform defenses.
The case, filed in the Northern District of California, promises an extended period of discovery, illuminating the intricate underpinnings of scraping activities.
Source link: Webpronews.com.
