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Closed Ban AI scrapers from scraping websites that have opted out

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We want the Government to pass legislation making compliance with websites' wishes on web scrapers (often expressed through the robots.txt file) legally binding for all AI companies training their models that operate within the UK.

There is evidence suggesting AI companies' scrapers are trawling the internet, ignoring the 'robots.txt' standard that allows web page owners to block off their websites to robots. Aside from what we see as glaring copyright issues involved with web scrapers, they can be a huge load on webservers for small website owners, potentially with huge volumes of traffic coming not from potential customers but from AI companies using up energy, and who may be using other people's work for their profit.

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    This petition will stay open until 12 December 2025.