Hello all,
We’ve updated the scripting rules to address a perceived grey area that’s been increasingly exploited, in some cases to the point of direct rule violations regarding scripts that "scrape" pages. Let us be clear, no rules have been changed, what was illegal before is still illegal now, this is merely additional wording to ensure less ambiguity going forward with deeper explanations contained within this announcement for developers and non developers alike.
What is scraping?
Our definition of scraping is extracting data from a page in order to: send to another system or page; call attention to the target or any other page; generate alerts or notifications of any type. In general, changing the visual appearance of a page in a way that doesn’t cause additional non-API requests or serve primarily as a means of drawing attention to that page is not considered scraping.
What pages are you allowed to scrape?
Scraping data from pages *you are not actively viewing* has always been forbidden, and remains so. For the avoidance of doubt, a page is considered "actively viewed" only while it is in the foreground, visible, and being directly interacted with by the player. Merely having a page loaded in a background tab, minimized window, separate monitor, or left open for extended periods does not constitute active viewing, and as such, scraping it is not allowed. Scraping data from a page you are currently interacting with is allowed: an example might be a script that makes note of and saves your current inventory while you click through your Items pages. Any scripts that solely utilize the API remain compliant with the rules.
WebSockets et al
Some pages in Torn update in real-time using WebSockets. Scraping those pages, whether by observing the WebSocket or the effect of changes made via the WebSocket (eg by observing changes to the DOM) is an area of particular concern that has been brought further into the spotlight following recent bans and staff tools actively monitoring item market websockets. If your script utilizes websockets the same guidance as above applies, wherein only pages you are actively viewing can utilize these in a compliant manner. Merely observing these without userscript interaction is not an issue, using scripts to highlight and notify you for windows you are not actively viewing is. We would highly recommend reaching out to staff if you have concerns of non compliance with existing scripts so we can work with you to ensure rules are followed. [here]
The use of scripts, extensions, applications, or any other software is permitted only when they rely on data from our API or from a page that you have manually loaded and are actively viewing. Such software must not make additional non-API requests to Torn, scrape pages that are not currently being viewed, attempt to bypass CAPTCHA protections, or extract data from unfocused pages to send elsewhere, generate alerts, or draw attention to itself or another window. Any software that makes non-API requests which are not directly and manually initiated by the user is prohibited and may be tracked. Furthermore, releasing software with malicious or undisclosed functionality is strictly forbidden, and developers of API-based tools are required to comply with the acceptable usage terms outlined here.
Thank you
These changes are not about punishing normal play or harmless quality-of-life tools, but about ensuring fairness and maintaining a level playing field. Torn is designed to be interacted with directly, not automated in ways that undermine game balance or provide disproportionate advantages. We appreciate that some players may need time to adjust their tools or workflows, and we encourage developers to review their scripts to ensure they comply with the updated clarification. Our goal is consistency, fairness, and transparency, not ambiguity