Will paid web crawlers change the internet? Creative Commons supports it but with conditions

Question

【Crypto World】The AI Vampire is Coming—This is how many content creators feel. Watching web crawlers continuously scrape website content without paying the authors a dime, Creative Commons has come forward to say: this must change.

They are optimistic about the new approach of “paid crawling.” The logic is simple—if AI bots are crawling your content, they should pay. This way, publishers can recover the traffic loss caused by AI chatbots, and content creation can continue to thrive.

But Creative Commons is not blindly supportive. They emphasize two hard requirements: first, power must not be concentrated in a few large companies; second, access channels should be reserved for public interest organizations and non-profits. Otherwise, the paid crawling system could become a new tool for monopolies.

The good news is that some are already working on this idea. Cloudflare, Microsoft, and a bunch of startups are exploring this technology. The latest “Simplified License” (RSL) standard is gaining more support. It seems the business logic of the content ecosystem is being reshaped.

BearWhisperGod · Accepted Answer

Paid crawling? Sounds pretty good, but who will oversee it...

Wait, won't it just be monopolized by big corporations in the end...

I can understand this logic, but in practice, it might be a mess again

Finally, someone is thinking of content creators, not easy

Paid crawling? I feel like it's just another new way to harvest users again

RetailTherapist · Answer

It's about time to regulate this; it's really outrageous to freeload for so long.

Big tech companies are still trying to monopolize while exploiting users? Dream on.

Paid crawlers sound good, but the key is who gets the say.

If big tech takes full control of this, creators will still be held back.

Non-profit channels are crucial; otherwise, it's just a different form of the same old story.

Interesting, finally someone wants to stand up for content creators.

It seems really hard to balance this... will big companies honestly pay?

The era of free riding on the internet should end. Support.

Finally, a move towards shared creativity with some real action.

GateUser-a606bf0c · Answer

Paid crawling sounds good, but the problem is whether big companies will really follow the rules? It seems that in the end, they still call the shots.

The term AI vampire is perfectly described; indeed, these robots should be made to pay.

I support free access for non-profit organizations; otherwise, public welfare projects will all be stuck.

Basically, they want to establish a new profit distribution mechanism, but can they really do a good job of preventing monopolies? I’m not very convinced.

Under the dominance of big companies, "paid crawling" will ultimately hurt small creators; I’ll leave that here.

This is what Web3 should be doing—decentralized content payment systems, on the blockchain to verify and secure value.

A bit optimistic; monopolies will just take on a different form and won't truly disappear.

PensionDestroyer · Answer

Once again, it's a game of cutting leeks. The nice way to put it is protecting creators, but in the end, it's still the big companies calling the shots.

Paid crawlers? Ha, let's wait and see who can truly serve the public good.

These two conditions of Creative Commons sound good, but do you believe that in the end, it's still the BATs playing tricks?

Microsoft and Cloudflare have already been laying out their plans. Small creators still get exploited.

Basically, it's just a way to extend life, nothing new.

Feels like I have to activate some paid API again, so annoying.

Isn't this just AI companies rebranding to continue profiting? I don't see much change.

Monopolies will only get worse, no matter how you change things, that’s the outcome.

Content creators still have to rely on themselves; relying on these big shots is unrealistic.

ProbablyNothing · Answer

Paid crawling sounds good, but in reality, isn't it the big companies that call the shots? The two conditions of CC sound more like decorations.

Now small creators are even worse off, having to pay to be "respected."

To put it bluntly, it's still a game of capital. We, the working people, continue to be exploited.

With both Cloudflare and Microsoft involved, will these giants genuinely help small creators? Question mark.

Monopoly with a new shell, reusing old tricks with new bottles.

GateUser-7b078580 · Answer

Data shows that this mechanism has been unreasonable from the very beginning... Monopolizing under a different guise is still monopolizing, and even hitting a historic low can't save creators.

MoonMathMagic · Answer

I've been freeloading on web crawlers for so many years, now it's probably time to pay up. But I'm worried about monopolies by big corporations... Can this move be played successfully?

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Translate for me, how exactly do paid crawlers charge? Per use or by volume?

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Feels like they're trying to trap creators with rules again...

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Finally, someone is regulating these AI bloodsuckers. Nice.

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I'm just afraid that in the end, the cheap options will still go to big companies, and small creators will still be working in vain.

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This idea is good, but implementing it might lead to disputes. Who will set the standards?

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Okay, this is better than the chaos now, at least it has some business logic.

MrRightClick · Answer

Basically, it's about putting a leash on large models, but can this really be implemented?

AI is indeed benefiting from content dividends, but the question is, who will regulate and who will pay?

Paid crawlers sound good, but the key is not to turn into a monopoly game by big companies again.

Alright, I'll just watch anyway; ultimately, the small creators are the ones who get hurt.

Isn't this just a different way of collecting taxes? I feel it's not that simple...

SandwichTrader · Answer

Paid crawling tools... sound good, but it feels like big companies will ruin it again.

Wait, can we really guarantee the channel for non-profit organizations... I'm a bit skeptical.

Finally, someone is speaking up for content creators. It’s about time.

YieldWhisperer · Answer

Hmm... Paid crawling sounds good, but honestly, big companies still call the shots.

Is this another way to cut the leeks? Can it really protect small creators?

Catching without paying? It’s about time someone regulated this, but it’s a miracle if this model can be implemented.

CC’s conditions sound good, but the question is, who will supervise and enforce them?

Honestly, in the end, it’s still big companies making a fortune, and small creators can’t reap the benefits.

This logic is comfortable, but when has the internet ever followed the rules?

It’s just a change of disguise for monopolies; don’t overthink it.