Petition · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Ban AI scrapers from scraping websites that have opted out
Closed
83 signatures
What the petition asks
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.
Timeline
| 12 Jun 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Dec 2025 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
83
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Opened
12 Jun 2025
Closed
12 Dec 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Aug 2026.