Amazon limits access to customer reviews for some users because it thinks they’re AI
As Amazon tries to keep AI crawlers off its website, human customers are becoming collateral damage. Since late last year, some Amazon shoppers have only been able to read a small number of customer reviews for each product. When this happens, the customer must file an email appeal to Amazon and wait several business days for a response. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the company is trying…
Amazon has implemented a system to limit customer access to product reviews, suspecting them of being artificial intelligence (AI) crawlers. This move has inadvertently affected legitimate customers as well. Users who encounter this restriction must submit an email appeal, awaiting a response within several business days. An Amazon spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating that the company is working to prevent unauthorized data scraping on its site.
However, the spokesperson declined to provide specific details about when the restriction began, how it was implemented, or how many customers have been affected.
Several affected users have taken to Reddit and Amazon's forums to voice their concerns. One user, Fred Hall, a long-time Prime subscriber, found that he could only access a limited number of reviews after searching for a dehumidifier online. He was informed by an Amazon customer service representative that he had violated Amazon's Conditions of Use regarding data gathering or extraction of community-generated content.
Despite this, Hall maintains that he does not use any AI browsing or automation tools and had no idea why his access was restricted. Another user, Sean Kaufman, also discovered the same issue, although he too does not use any AI browsing tools. An Amazon chat agent offered a $10 promotional credit and promised to escalate the issue within 24 hours, but the credit was never issued, and it took five days for full review access to be restored.
The problem with AI-generated content is not isolated to Amazon. Google has also taken steps to curb bot activity by introducing new ReCaptcha systems, which require users to perform more complex tasks. Similarly, Reddit has barred search engines from accessing its site to prevent AI crawlers from scraping its content. The Internet Archive, a valuable resource for historical web data, has faced similar challenges in archiving stories from news outlets concerned about AI scraping.
As AI agents become increasingly adept at mimicking human behavior, tech companies are grappling with the challenge of distinguishing between human and artificial activity online. While Amazon has taken steps to restrict review access, it has faced criticism for both inconveniencing legitimate customers and failing to provide clear explanations for the restrictions. As AI continues to evolve, the balance between preventing unauthorized data scraping and maintaining access for genuine users may become increasingly tenuous.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
