Condé Nast, Hearst among 300 publishers pressuring Congress to ban bot scraping

A coalition of prominent publishers, including Condé Nast and Hearst Magazines, are urging Congress to enact legislation that would prohibit the use of covert AI bots for scraping content from websites. The bipartisan Stealth Bot Prohibition Act, introduced in July, aims to protect publishers' bottom lines and secure the longevity of their publications.

Should the bill become law, AI agents used for unmarked scraping would need to be disclosed, and violators could face civil penalties from the Federal Trade Commission. Attorneys general would also be empowered to pursue legal action against such scrapers. The News/Media Alliance, a trade organization, is spearheading the push for the bill, arguing that AI-driven bot traffic is threatening publishers' ability to serve their readers and that current technical measures are insufficient to combat malicious actors.

Publishers like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker, along with Hearst's Esquire, Elle, and Men's Health, are among the parties backing the legislation. Industry giants such as Amazon, Meta, and Google have already entered licensing agreements with AI companies to monetize their content, raising concerns about transparency and the potential for exploitation.