Cloudflare has announced a collaboration with major web browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, to develop and standardise a privacy-preserving protocol designed to help websites identify legitimate users and authorised bots without compromising privacy.
The initiative introduces Private Access Control Tokens (PACT), a new technology aimed at reducing the need for intrusive verification methods such as CAPTCHAs, forced logins and extensive tracking practices. The protocol is designed to create a safer and more seamless online experience as AI-powered agents become increasingly common across the Internet.
According to Cloudflare, the rise of automated traffic and generative AI has made it more difficult for website operators to distinguish between genuine users and malicious activity. The new framework seeks to address this challenge by providing trusted verification while maintaining user privacy.
Dane Knecht, CTO, Cloudflare, said, “The way we interact with the Internet is facing a fundamental shift. Normal everyday tasks like ordering food previously required a user to personally navigate menus and payment gateways. Now, autonomous agents are starting to orchestrate these workflows on behalf of people. As AI-powered traffic becomes widespread, existing tools to support its use are too generic and coarse. Now this collaboration lets us eliminate the friction caused by security protocols for every visitor, whether they are human or agent, without sacrificing privacy.”
PACT enables trusted platforms to issue anonymous verification tokens that browsers can present to other websites to confirm that a human is involved in the interaction. The technology is designed to prevent websites from tracking users or collecting browsing history information.
Industry partners have welcomed the initiative as a step towards improving security while preserving openness and privacy across the web. The protocol is expected to help businesses better identify genuine visitors, improve user experiences and strengthen trust in online interactions.
Cloudflare said the initiative lays the foundation for a more secure, private and frictionless Internet experience, enabling organisations to manage automated traffic more effectively while protecting user privacy.
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