Cloudflare Has Blocked 416 Billion AI Bot Requests Since July 1

Cloudflare reports blocking over 400 billion AI bot requests since July 1, 2025, as part of its “Content Independence Day” initiative to default-block AI crawlers unless they pay for access, aiming to protect creators’ content. The piece highlights CEO Matthew Prince’s view that AI represents a major platform shift that will reshape the internet’s business model and underscores Cloudflare’s focus on ensuring a fair ecosystem for businesses and creators.