Tech
The biggest names in AI are backing a new way to opt out of scraping
Publication: The Verge
Author: Emma Roth
Source published: 30/10/2026, 20:26:10 UTC
Briefing created: 30/10/2026, 21:38:22 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 30/10/2026, 20:46:25 UTC.
Briefings
Major AI companies including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic have agreed to adopt a new standard for publishers to opt out of AI scraping. This standard, called the 'policy token' signal, will be embedded in a website's robots.txt file via the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Publishers can now apply their AI training preferences across multiple AI companies simultaneously, rather than setting them individually. The initiative aims to streamline compliance for content creators. The specific implementation details and timeline remain to be confirmed.
Key points
- OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic have agreed to adopt a new standard for publishers to opt out of AI scraping.
- The 'policy token' signal will be embedded in a website's robots.txt file via the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Context
This initiative allows publishers to apply their AI training preferences across multiple AI companies simultaneously, streamlining compliance. The standard is proposed by Kevin Kelley, a technical lead for standards at Anthropic, as part of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Limitations
The specific implementation details and timeline remain to be confirmed. The evidence is from a report published on 2026-10-30, and the full story details are not fully available in the provided text.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 30/10/2026, 21:38:22 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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