Policies Public-facing policies
Scraping and Automated Access Policy
What automated access to Map.ca is authorized, what is not, and how unauthorized scraping is detected and stopped.
- Version
- 0.1.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 12 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #71
Policy text
Map.ca is structured public infrastructure, not a buffet for crawlers. The Scraping and Automated Access Policy defines authorized automated access (via the documented API), unauthorized automated access (everything else, including AI training crawlers without an opt-in), detection signals, response measures (rate limiting, blocking, credential revocation), and the relationship with the AI Training and Data Use Policy.
It applies to all automated traffic touching Map.ca surfaces and to the security and traffic teams managing access.
Principles this policy enforces
- Location is used for presence, not surveillance
- Collect less, protect more
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Route automated access through the documented API.
- Detect and respond to unauthorized scraping.
What it forbids
- Do not scrape Map.ca outside the authorized API.
- Do not use Map.ca data for AI training without explicit opt-in.
How it applies
- Automated traffic of every kind
- Security and traffic teams
- Developers
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 8
Related policies
API Use Policy
Who can use Map.ca's APIs, how, and what limits and data-handling obligations apply to integrators.
Developer Terms
The relationship between Map.ca and developers who integrate with the platform via APIs, SDKs, or partner tooling.
AI Training and Data Use Policy
How Map.ca's user content is and is not used for training AI — Map.ca's own systems and external vendors alike.
SEO and Public Indexing Policy
What Map.ca exposes to search engines, what stays out of public indexes, and the controls users have over indexing.