Ban AI scrapers from scraping websites that have opted out

Background

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.

Additional details

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.

Where it’s popular

Constituencies with the most signatures on this petition.