The Digital Press

Cloudflare has introduced Web Bot Auth, a cryptographic method for bots to authenticate their HTTP requests, improving bot verification and management.

Why it matters: Web Bot Auth allows bots to self-identify securely, reducing spoofing and improving trust between bots and websites.

The big picture: This protocol relies on public key cryptography and standard IETF drafts to create a decentralized, verifiable bot identity system.

The stakes: Critics worry about Cloudflare becoming a gatekeeper, potentially centralizing control and imposing fees on bot verification and usage.

Commenters say: Opinions are mixed; some praise its cryptographic approach to bot identity, others fear Cloudflare’s growing internet control and negative impacts on user experience.