The 404 Media Podcast How to Fight Back Against AI Bot Scrapers
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Jul 9, 2025 Discover how Anubis, an innovative open-source tool, is fighting against AI bot scrapers and protecting invaluable online resources. Delve into the ethical concerns surrounding a new facial recognition app used by ICE, sparking debates about privacy and surveillance. The hosts also share amusing insights on how AI models often miss the mark in understanding human nuances. Plus, explore unconventional methods researchers use to 'jailbreak' AI with confusing jargon. It's a thought-provoking journey through technology and its implications!
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AI Scrapers Harm Public Websites
- AI companies scrape public websites relentlessly, causing significant strain on libraries and online archives.
- These scrapers act like unintentional DDoS attacks, eventually crashing sites meant for public use.
Outdated Bots.txt Ineffective Against AI Scrapers
- Traditional protections like robots.txt are ignored by AI scrapers eager to harvest data.
- New methods like trapping scrapers in infinite link loops have emerged to protect sites.
Anubis Uses Browser Proofs to Block AI
- Anubis verifies visitors by checking for JavaScript-based cryptographic browser proofs to differentiate humans from bots.
- AI scrapers cannot easily mimic browsers without high computational costs, making Anubis an effective, lightweight defense.