This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament
Rejected petition Criminalise the use of automated 'bot' software towards extorting shoppers.
Rejected on
The government should introduce legislation requiring retailers to introduce anti-bot software on their e-commerce websites.
The government should also consider prosecuting those who mark up and re-sell sought-after items acquired with bots, on grounds of extortion and/or tax evasion.
A 'bot' is an easy-to-acquire and easy-to-use piece of software that allows users to navigate online checkouts many times faster than humans. Unlike people, bots can also tirelessly refresh product web pages 24/7 to make sure it is the first in line when a sought-after item becomes available.
This leaves honest tax-paying shoppers empty handed - or worse, obliged to pay multiples of the item's RRP - while unscrupulous and tax-avoiding scalpers reap a profit, and gloat online.
Why was this petition rejected?
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/570971
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.