Cloudflare pushes Google to separate AI crawlers from search bots

Cloudflare is pushing Google to separate its AI crawling bots from its search indexing bots, allowing websites to block AI data collection without losing search visibility. CEO Matthew Prince claims the company is in “encouraging” talks with Google and threatens legislative action if negotiations fail, though Google has declined to confirm any discussions.

What you should know: Cloudflare’s new blocking features create a technical dilemma for website owners who want to prevent AI scraping while maintaining search rankings.

• Website owners and SEO experts questioned how Cloudflare could block Google’s bot from scraping content for AI Overviews without also blocking the same bot from crawling for search engine placements.
• The issue arose after Cloudflare began testing features that would allow websites to block AI crawlers or require payment for data scraping.

What they’re saying: Prince made bold claims about forcing Google’s hand through regulatory pressure if voluntary cooperation fails.

• “We will get Google to provide ways to block Answer Box and AI Overview, without blocking classic search indexing, as well,” Prince said on X.
• “Worst case we’ll pass a law somewhere that requires them to break out their crawlers and then announce all routes to their crawlers from there,” he added, calling legislative action a “very viable option” in “many jurisdictions.”

The big picture: Google and other search engines currently use the same bots for both AI training and search indexing, creating conflicts with Cloudflare’s blocking system.

• Other search engines that integrate AI features into their search products face similar technical challenges with bot separation.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that tech companies “have few incentives to work with intermediaries” like Cloudflare.

Why this matters: The dispute highlights growing tensions between content creators seeking compensation for AI training data and tech companies building AI systems.

• Cloudflare’s blocking system could potentially harm legitimate web crawling for academic research, security scans, and archival projects like The Internet Archive.
• The Internet Archive notably played a crucial role in tracking data deleted from government websites after Donald Trump took office.

Key challenges: Passing technology legislation faces significant hurdles due to the rapid pace of technological advancement.

• Technology keeps advancing as policy debates drag on, with AI regulation serving as a prime example of this pattern.
• Ars Technica could not find any existing legislation matching Prince’s description, and Cloudflare did not respond to requests for comment.

What’s next: Google declined to confirm whether talks with Cloudflare are underway or if the company would consider separating its crawlers.

• Some commenters suggested Cloudflare may risk legal action from Google for its aggressive approach.
• The outcome could set precedents for how AI companies access web content for training purposes.