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Web giant Cloudflare to block AI bots from scraping content by default
CNBC· 2025-07-01 10:07
Core Viewpoint - Cloudflare will block AI crawlers from accessing content without website owners' permission or compensation by default, impacting AI developers' ability to train their models [1][3]. Group 1: Cloudflare's New Policy - Starting Tuesday, new web domains signing up to Cloudflare will be asked if they want to allow AI crawlers, giving them control over data scraping [2]. - This move builds on a tool launched in September last year that allowed publishers to block AI crawlers with a single click, now making it the default for all websites [6]. Group 2: Impact on AI Development - Approximately 16% of global internet traffic goes through Cloudflare's CDN, indicating its significant role in online content delivery [3]. - AI crawlers have been accused of depriving publishers of traffic and revenue by collecting data without directing users to original sources [5]. - If effective, this development could hinder AI chatbots' ability to harvest data for training, potentially impacting the viability of AI models in the long term [8]. Group 3: Industry Reactions - OpenAI declined to participate in Cloudflare's plan, arguing that it adds a middleman to the system [6]. - AI crawlers are viewed as invasive and have been criticized for overwhelming websites and affecting user experience [7].
Bear of the Day: Akamai (AKAM)
ZACKS· 2025-06-23 11:21
Core Insights - Akamai Technologies is a significant player in the content delivery network (CDN) and cloud infrastructure services market, valued at $11.5 billion [1] - The company aims to enhance content delivery over the Internet, addressing issues like traffic congestion and bandwidth constraints, particularly in high-definition video streaming [2] Financial Performance - Akamai reported a 3% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching $1.02 billion, driven by strong demand in Security and Compute verticals [6] - GAAP net income decreased to $123.2 million or $0.82 per share, down from $175.4 million or $1.11 per share in the previous year, primarily due to high operating expenses [4] - Non-GAAP net income slightly increased to $256.1 million or $1.70 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.12 [5] Revenue Breakdown - Security Technology Group revenues grew by 8% year-over-year to $530.7 million, supported by demand for Guardicore Segmentation Solution and API security solutions [7] - The Delivery segment's revenues fell to $319 million from $351.8 million in the previous year, while the Compute segment saw an increase to $165.5 million from $144.5 million [8] Management Outlook - For Q2 2025, Akamai anticipates revenues between $1.012 billion and $1.032 billion, with a projected non-GAAP operating margin of 28% [10] - For the full year 2025, the revenue forecast is between $4.050 billion and $4.2 billion, with non-GAAP earnings projected at $6.10 to $6.40 per share [12] Market Position and Future Potential - Despite current growth challenges, Akamai may have opportunities in the emerging AI economy if it can develop new growth drivers [13]