Ethical data collection practices are essential for businesses to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and improve their data operations. A comprehensive checklist for selecting ethical proxy providers includes factors like legal IP sourcing, informed peer consent, easy opt-out options, GDPR and CCPA compliance, fair peer compensation, and responsible use of idle resources. Bright Data, a company focused on ethical data collection, emphasizes transparent practices and legal compliance through initiatives such as public IP procurement, third-party audits, and zero IP reselling. Technologically, the data collection industry is evolving beyond the size of IP pools to include advanced services like Web Unlocker and Web Scraper API, addressing new challenges in accessing public data due to sophisticated blocking at multiple levels. The future is likely to focus on commoditizing public data collection and creating accessible platforms for high-quality data, ensuring that data-driven business performance remains robust and sustainable.