📍 San Francisco | September 26, 2025 | 3 min read
Summary – Cloudflare has rolled out a major policy update to prevent Google’s AI models from automatically using content hosted on Cloudflare-protected websites, unless the site owner explicitly allows it.
Cloudflare’s Bold Stand on AI Scraping
Internet security giant Cloudflare has rolled out a new policy that could change how AI companies access online data. Starting now, Google’s AI crawlers will no longer be able to use content from Cloudflare-protected websites unless the site owner explicitly opts in.
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This means tools like Google Gemini and the Search Generative Experience (SGE), which rely heavily on web content to train their generative AI models, will face new restrictions.
“Respecting Content Ownership” – Cloudflare CEO
Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince described the move as a step toward fairness and transparency.
“This change is about respecting content ownership and user choice,” Prince said. “AI is powerful, but it should not come at the cost of creators, publishers, or businesses who put their work online.”
Mixed Reactions Online
The announcement quickly set off a debate across social media.
Many creators and publishers praised the move, calling it a long-awaited safeguard against uncontrolled AI scraping.
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They argued that for too long, online content had been treated as a free resource for tech giants.
At the same time, some users raised doubts about how effective the new policy would be in practice and whether other companies beyond Cloudflare would be willing to take the same stand.
Analysts See Wider Impact
Industry observers believe this decision could mark the beginning of a broader shift. If other infrastructure providers follow Cloudflare’s lead, companies like Google may no longer have open access to web data.
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Instead, AI developers might be pushed to negotiate directly with publishers and site owners, placing more value on licensed or partner-based data rather than unrestricted scraping
Why Cloud flare’s Move Matters For Indian publishers
Training data has become one of the most contested resources in the AI industry. By giving site owners the choice to allow or block AI crawlers, Cloudflare is shifting the balance of power back toward content creators.
For Indian publishers and digital news outlets, this could be a particularly important tool not only to protect intellectual property but also to push for fair terms when dealing with tech giants.
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