After launching a tool that blocks AI crawlers by default, Cloudflare is taking the next step: the company is demanding that Google technically separate AI features like Gemini and Answer Box from regular site indexing. If this is not done voluntarily, the decision could become subject to regulatory regulation.
After launching a tool that blocks AI crawlers by default, Cloudflare is taking the next step: the company is demanding that Google technically separate AI features like Gemini and Answer Box from regular site indexing. If this is not done voluntarily, the decision could become subject to regulatory regulation.
As TechSpot writes, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince emphasized: it is already possible to allow a search engine to index a site, but at the same time block access to content for AI models. Cloudflare is working on a convenient tool for this, especially against the backdrop of the rapid growth of «Zero Click» search, where the answer is formed without going to the site.
According to Prince, if Google does not comply, a law may be needed that would require major AI players to clearly separate their crawlers.
This is a continuation of the policy that Cloudflare started earlier, including the launch of the Pay Per Crawl initiative, which allows sites to block unauthorized AI scraping training and set a price for access to content.
The company’s goal is not only to protect authors and publishers from the free use of their content, but also to maintain a balance between web accessibility and technological innovation. According to Prince, original content is the foundation of the internet, and it is this content that is now being massively consumed by AI models without consent or compensation.
As generative AI grows, companies are increasingly using the open internet as a raw material for training models. But traditional mechanisms for traffic, licensing, and content monetization are being disrupted. Cloudflare is one of the first major infrastructure players to publicly fight to protect publishers’ interests.
As a reminder, our news feed also reported how Cloudflare reported an attack in which attackers attempted to flood a single server with data equivalent to 9,000 HD movies. The company successfully blocked the largest DDoS attack in history.
