Website traffic under pressure: News Corp blocks users?

Website traffic under pressure: News Corp blocks users?

Today, September 14, 2025, there are some innovations in the digital world of News Corp Australia that will be of interest to users. At a time when traffic from crawler bots is constantly increasing, the company has introduced tailor-made software that regulates the handling of these bots. As the Herald Sun reported, this measure aims to both increase the security of the websites and improve the user experience.

However, traffic regulation software may cause some users to be incorrectly identified as bots and blocked. In this regard, News Corp has also provided steps that those affected can take to regain access. This includes, among other things, temporarily deactivating ad blockers and ensuring that your browser has the latest version and supports JavaScript. Users who continue to experience issues should email accessissues@news.com.au directly and should provide their IP address (85.13.166.126) and reference number (0.25171202.1757813047.5261dfdd).

Why it matters right now

Managing crawler bots is not an easy balancing act. The new systems should not only ensure a smoother user experience, but also be prepared against possible data breaches. With an estimated 30% of global web traffic made up of bots, the need to control them has become particularly acute. Australia Times adds that many media institutions around the world are adopting similar security measures to optimize the accessibility of their content while protecting their platforms.

The problem? Legitimate users risk being incorrectly denied access. The challenge is to create a safe but also user-friendly environment where digital content can be consumed unhindered.

The role of crawlers in 2025

The discussion about crawler bots has gained further momentum in recent years due to developments in the field of artificial intelligence. According to an interesting report by Cloudflare The crawler landscape has become more complex with the rise of AI crawlers. These collect data not only for search engines, but increasingly also to train AI models. This shows that the challenges faced by website operators are constantly changing and need to adapt to keep up with technological trends.

• Googlebot: 50 % des gesamten Crawler-Verkehrs
• GPTBot: Anstieg von 2.2 % auf 7.7 % Marktanteil
• Meta-ExternalAgent: Eingestiegen mit 19 % Marktanteil
• Bytespider: Rückgang von 22.8 % auf 2.9 % Marktanteil

With the continued increase in bot traffic, it has become essential to develop strategies that ensure both accessibility and security. The recent changes are therefore not just a reaction, but probably also a signpost to the digital future of the media landscape.