tech
Cloudflare teams up with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge on a privacy-first anti-bot protocol
Cloudflare, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Shopify are building PACT, a privacy-first protocol to verify web traffic legitimacy.
TL;DR
- Cloudflare, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Shopify are collaborating on a new protocol called Private Access Control Tokens (PACT).
- PACT aims to verify the legitimacy of web traffic without tracking users, potentially replacing CAPTCHAs and forced logins.
- Automated bot traffic now accounts for approximately 58% of global HTTP requests, exceeding human activity.
- The protocol will issue anonymous tokens to prove a visitor is human or an authorized bot, without enabling user tracking.
- PACT is intended to differentiate authorized AI agents from malicious bots, not to eliminate all automation.
- The initiative is seen as crucial for maintaining an open web and combating abuse without unnecessary user friction.
- PACT builds upon existing technologies like Apple's Privacy Pass and aims for broader browser support.