# Bright Data: what it sells, price and AI features URL: https://www.newsprint.com/companies/bright-data/ Covers: Jan. 6, 2023 to Oct. 11, 2026 Updated: 2026-11-11 License: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cite as: Newsprint, "Bright Data: what it sells, price and AI features", https://www.newsprint.com/companies/bright-data/, updated 2026-11-11 > Bright Data is on the social monitoring map. We record 17 dated launches and events for it. The latest is dated Oct. 11, 2026. Web Scraper API and prebuilt datasets for LinkedIn profiles, companies, jobs and posts (posts dataset ~132M records). An agent calls the scraper API by dataset\_id or buys a snapshot; MCP server wraps the platform. Source: [brightdata.com](https://brightdata.com/). ## Facts - Site: [brightdata.com](https://brightdata.com/) - Founded: [2014](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Data) - Category: Social data APIs and scrapers - Status: Active ## On the research maps ### [The social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data) Web Scraper API and prebuilt datasets for LinkedIn profiles, companies, jobs and posts (posts dataset ~132M records). An agent calls the scraper API by dataset\_id or buys a snapshot; MCP server wraps the platform. Source: [brightdata.com](https://brightdata.com/). - Category: Social data APIs and scrapers - Price: Pay as you go $1.5/1K records; Scale $499/mo incl. 384,000 records then $1.3/1K; free tier 5K records/mo; datasets 'up to $0.0025 per record', $250 min order ($250 for 100K records). - Platforms: LinkedIn - Scale: Enterprise incumbent: nine-figure revenue or public-company scale (CEO reports above $300 million ARR and 50,000+ customers (company-reported).) - Founded: [2014](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Data) Sources: [brightdata.com](https://brightdata.com/), [brightdata.com](https://brightdata.com/pricing/web-scraper) and [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Data). ## Launches and dated events, newest first ### brightdata-mcp v3.0.0 removes 46 web\_data\_\* tools for scraper tools Deprecation, Oct. 11, 2026. Breaking change to tool names; agents with pinned tool lists must reconfigure. Source: [GitHub](https://github.com/brightdata/brightdata-mcp/releases). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Adds a free tier and collapses scraping-API pricing to Free/Scale Pricing change, July 14, 2026. Web Scraper API added 5,000 free records monthly; Bright Data's X Scraper API is a well-known omitted company in this slice. Source: [usagepricing.com](https://www.usagepricing.com/blueprint/activity/bright-data-2026-07-14-scraping-api-free-scale). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Grok Scraper available again after blocking by Grok Announcement, June 11, 2026. Grok scraper was down in May and again 2026-06-14 due to blocking; shows LLM-answer scrapers break when the target blocks. Source: [Bright Data docs](https://docs.brightdata.com/release-notes.md). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Free tier: 5,000 free credits every month, shared pool across Web Unlocker, SERP, Web Scraper API, Scraper Studio, MCP Pricing change, June 2026. No credit card; renews on the 1st; MCP free tier draws from the same pool. Source: [Bright Data docs](https://docs.brightdata.com/release-notes.md). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### LinkedIn restricted public access to Position, Experience and Education fields Policy, Nov. 13, 2025. Platform change: those three fields now return cached data; fill rate fell from 50-64% to about 2%. Other fields still scraped live. Source: [Bright Data docs](https://docs.brightdata.com/products/scrapers/linkedin/introduction). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### New social scrapers: Facebook profiles, Reddit profiles, Reddit posts by subreddit Launch, October 2025. Week ending 2025-10-31 release notes; also YouTube Podcasts and Explore-page scrapers. Source: [Bright Data docs](https://docs.brightdata.com/release-notes.md). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Bright Data debuts free tier of The Web MCP (5,000 requests/month) Launch, Aug. 12, 2025. Free Web MCP for agents with unblocking; 3-month private beta with 15,000 developers per trade press. Source: [SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2025/08/12/bright-data-debuts-free-tier-web-mcp-support-real-time-ai-interaction-web/). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### current\_company.industry unsupported Deprecation, Aug. 7, 2025. Docs: the current\_company.industry field has been unsupported since 2025-08-07. Source: [Bright Data docs](https://docs.brightdata.com/products/scrapers/linkedin/introduction). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### X Corp. v. Bright Data docket terminated Ruling, July 1, 2025. CourtListener shows dateTerminated 2025-07-01; reason (settlement, dismissal) not found in opened sources. Source: [CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67637345/x-corp-v-bright-data-ltd/). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### brightdata-mcp GitHub repository created Launch, April 15, 2025. Open-source Bright Data MCP server repo created; latest release v4.1.0 on 2026-10-20. Source: [GitHub API](https://api.github.com/repos/brightdata/brightdata-mcp). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### brightdata/brightdata-mcp repository created Launch, April 15, 2025. First public Bright Data MCP server (GitHub). 2,686 stars on 2026-10-23; MIT licence. Source: [GitHub](https://github.com/brightdata/brightdata-mcp). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### X Corp. allowed to amend: trespass to chattels, DMCA, CFAA, CDAFA added Ruling, Nov. 26, 2024. Server-impairment allegations cured the damages gap; scraping claims preempted by copyright stayed dismissed. Source: [Technology & Marketing Law Blog](https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2025/01/catching-up-on-the-heavyweight-scraping-battle-between-x-and-bright-data-guest-blog-post.htm). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Judge Alsup dismisses X Corp. claims against Bright Data (leave to amend) Ruling, May 9, 2024. Access claims failed for lack of damages; claims over selling user posts preempted by Copyright Act. Source: [Technology & Marketing Law Blog](https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2024/05/elon-musks-gifts-to-web-scrapers-guest-blog-post.htm). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Meta drops its case against Bright Data Ruling, Feb. 26, 2024. Meta moved to withdraw; docket terminated 2024-02-26. Source: [CTech](https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h1zshv53p). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Court grants Bright Data summary judgment on Meta's contract claim Ruling, Jan. 23, 2024. Judge Chen: Meta's terms did not bar logged-out scraping of public data; CAPTCHA bypass differs from password-protected access. Source: [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/24/court-rules-in-favor-of-a-web-scraper-bright-data-which-meta-had-used-and-then-sued). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### X Corp. v. Bright Data filed (N.D. Cal. 3:23-cv-03698) Lawsuit, July 26, 2023. X Corp. sued Bright Data over scraping X data and selling it. Source: [CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67637345/x-corp-v-bright-data-ltd/). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ### Meta Platforms v. Bright Data filed (N.D. Cal. 3:23-cv-00077) Lawsuit, Jan. 6, 2023. Meta sued over scraping Facebook and Instagram public data. Source: [CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66706470/meta-platforms-inc-v-bright-data-ltd/). From [the social monitoring map](https://www.newsprint.com/research/social-monitoring/#co-bright-data). ## Methodology and corrections How we track launches, and how to report an error: https://www.newsprint.com/updates/pr-software/#methodology