Politics · United Kingdom · 4 hrs ago
Publishers urge UK to require anonymous web bots to identify themselves
Publishers including the Daily Mail have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to act against anonymous bots that take content from websites.
They say the bots scrape journalism and other material, often without paying the people who created it.
Bots account for more than half of global web traffic, and many collect data used to train AI models.
Publishers warn that if reliable information brings no value to its creators, less of it will be produced, which could also weaken AI systems that rely on trustworthy material.
A bill proposed by Conservative shadow minister Damian Hinds would require bots to identify themselves and say what they will do with the information they access.
It would create a public register held by Ofcom, so website owners could decide whether to let bots in; it would not ban them.
The bill is due for its second reading in the House of Commons, where MPs will consider it next.
Publishers have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to back a law requiring online bots to identify who sent them and what they will do with information they access.
The proposed law would let publishers decide whether to allow bots onto their websites.
The publishers warned that anonymous bots take valuable content, impose costs on businesses and weaken the market for trusted information.
A bill introduced by Conservative shadow minister Damian Hinds was due for its second reading in the House of Commons on 16 October 2026.
The publishers said that without action, the supply of reliable information could decline and AI models could degrade.
- Who
- Publishers, including the Daily Mail, urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to support the proposal.
- What
- They called for a law requiring online bots to identify who sent them and how they will use information they access.
- When
- The article was published on 16 October 2026; the bill was due for its second reading that day.
- Where
- The proposed bill is before the UK House of Commons.
- Why
- Publishers said anonymous bots take content without payment and weaken the market for trusted information.
UK publishers
Labour government
Copyright and bot transparency
UK publishers
Publishers called for a law requiring bots to identify themselves and said content creators should receive value for their work.
Labour government
The Labour government proposed exempting AI firms from copyright law to boost Britain's technology sector.
The Labour government proposed exempting AI firms from copyright law to boost Britain's technology sector.
Damian Hinds's bill was due for its second reading in the House of Commons.
- Proposed register
- A public register of bots held by Ofcom
- Bill sponsor
- Damian Hinds, Tory shadow minister
- Second reading
- House of Commons, 16 October 2026
- Signatories
- Executives from the Daily Mail, Times, Financial Times, Telegraph, Sun, Express, Guardian, Conde Nast and Reddit
What people are saying
The case for transparency is clear. What is missing is a decision to act.
This Bill doesn't seek to ban anything, just to let content owners see who is taking their content, so they can decide if they're happy with that.
AI firms must be honest and transparent about how they access training data. Publishers deserve to be paid for their journalism, and high-quality, fact-checked information must be protected.
The US is already moving, and Britain should lead alongside it.