Cloudflare teams up with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge on a privacy-first anti-bot protocol Cloudflare, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Shopify are developing a new privacy-first protocol called PACT to verify legitimate web traffic anonymously. This initiative aims to replace CAPTCHAs and forced logins with tokens that prove a visitor is human or an authorized bot, without tracking browsing history. The protocol is designed to distinguish authorized AI agents from malicious bots, addressing the increasing dominance of automated traffic online.

• 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. Continue reading https://thenextweb.com/news/cloudflare-pact-browser-privacy-bot-traffic-protocol