Webshare's Ethically Sourced Residential Proxies
Importance of ethical residential proxy sourcing
Out of all the proxy types, residential proxies stand out as the most sensitive to the mistreatment and violations of ethics. It is due to the fact that most residential proxies are created by routing internet traffic through physical devices, which are generally owned by regular people.
Webshare’s respect for the rights of each residential proxy network participant is reflected in our company's internal policies regarding the entire procurement process. All Webshare residential proxies come from one of these sources:
Physical user devices
Consenting and fully aware individuals become a part of a residential proxy network in return for a financial reward or some other benefit. When they choose to participate in our suppliers’ pools, they consent that a part of their internet traffic and a small amount of the device’s hardware resources will be used for a variety of business cases.
Internet Service Providers (ISP)
It is considered to be a less ethically-sensitive alternative to residential proxy acquisition because ISP residential proxies do not require the end-user participation. These proxies are created when the internet traffic is routed through the ISP network.
Webshare’s standards for residential proxy acquisition
Webshare has established a grading system for all non-ISP residential proxy acquisition practices prevalent in the industry. These categories are defined by user-centric values which include user consent, user awareness, information clarity, and user reward.
*Tier B providers may or may not offer direct payments to some of its proxy network participants. When direct payment is not paid to proxy network participants, Tier B providers may offer direct payment 3rd parties (e.g. app developers).
In these cases, the proxy network participants may receive some other benefits from the 3rd parties.
“Webshare’s proxy network is composed of Tier A model proxies and ISP providers.”
Webshare’s residential proxy management policies
Webshare requires proxy providers to protect end-users' privacy. The company receives only those data points which are essential for proxy functionality.
Webshare providers must ensure that the performance of all actively used devices will remain unaffected.
When Webshare clients send a request, destination servers receive requests exactly as they are sent to us. We do not modify any data as it goes through our machines.
Webshare has established a strict vetting process for all residential proxy providers. It consists of a set of explicit contractual obligations for our partners which ensures end-user awareness and explicit consent.
Conclusion
Webshare’s core values are at the foundation of each major business decision. They encompass everything from the way residential proxies are sourced to the way Webshare treats its trusted business partners. Our company will continue to bring value to both businesses and end-users while at the same time striving to become the most ethical version of itself. Webshare pledges to safeguard its policies regarding fairness, transparency and ethics through continuous self-education and implementation of the best industry practices. The greatest Webshare’s vision is to see the entire industry evolve towards trust-based sustainable practices for all parties involved, where complete end-user awareness, fairly received consent, and user reward would be a business rule, not an exception.