<p>Data Scraping, Artificial Intelligence, and Human Rights: Challenges for Africa</p>

Human rights doctrine recognizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of every bona fide citizen as a fundamental obligation of the state, enforced through constitutional, statutory, and international legal instruments. However, the rapid emergence and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across in a developing continent like Africa countries,have introduced challenges to the protection of these rights, particularly the right to privacy and data protection. While AI offers substantial benefits for economic growth, innovation, and public service delivery, its increasing reliance on data scraping has raised serious concerns regarding the unauthorized collection and processing of personal information.In many instances, AI-driven data scraping is conducted without the informed consent of data subjects, resulting in practices that may infringe fundamental human rights and undermine existing privacy and data protection laws. Such activities can be intrusive, objectionable, and harmful to individuals, especially where scrapers operate with little regard for legal or ethical standards. Although privacy rights are not absolute and exceptions may exist in circumstances such as public interest, law enforcement, or legitimate research purposes, these exceptions must be narrowly interpreted and applied within established legal frameworks. This article examines the intersection of data scraping, artificial intelligence, and human rights in the Africa. It explores the legal exceptions to privacy protections, analyses the challenges posed by AI-enabled data scraping, and assesses the adequacy of existing regulatory frameworks across African states. The article further proposes strategies for strengthening privacy and data protection regimes to safeguard individual rights while promoting responsible AI innovation and preventing unlawful data scraping practices.