Short answer: collecting publicly listed business information — names, addresses, phone numbers, websites — is generally lawful in most jurisdictions, because the data is public and factual. What matters most is how you use it: outreach must follow local anti-spam, telemarketing and privacy laws. This is general information, not legal advice.

What does the law actually cover?

Facts such as a business’s address or phone number are not copyrightable, and public business data is not “personal data” in the way a private individual’s is. Rules such as GDPR, CAN-SPAM, CASL and the TCPA govern contacting people, not the act of compiling public listings.

What about Google’s Terms of Service?

Google’s terms restrict automated access to its services; that is a contractual matter between you and Google, distinct from statute. A desktop tool that mimics normal browsing and respects reasonable rates reduces friction, but review Google’s terms for your use case.

How to stay on the right side of it

• Use the data for B2B outreach to businesses, not consumers.
• Honour opt-outs; follow CAN-SPAM / CASL for email and the TCPA for calls and SMS.
• Do not republish scraped data as your own directory.
• Keep volumes reasonable and use proxies responsibly.