News Group Newspapers Cracks Down on Automated Content Access
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News Group Newspapers Limited is actively blocking automated access to its content, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools for data collection. The move, announced this week, aims to protect the integrity of its reporting and enforce its existing terms and conditions.
the publisher, which includes The Sun among its titles, has detected an increase in potentially automated user behavior attempting to access and extract data from its online services. According to a company release, this practise violates established guidelines regarding content usage.
Protecting Content in the Age of AI
The core issue centers on the unauthorized text and data mining of News Group Newspapers’ content. This includes scraping articles for use in training large language models (LLMs) or for other commercial purposes without explicit permission.
“News Group Newspapers prohibits automated access, collection, or text/data mining of its content, including for AI, machine learning, or LLMs, as per its terms,” a spokesperson stated. The company emphasizes that these restrictions are clearly outlined in its terms and conditions, which users agree to upon accessing its services.
What Happens if You’re Flagged?
users encountering access issues may receive a message indicating their behavior has been flagged as potentially automated. The system,while generally accurate,is not infallible.
One analyst noted that occasional false positives occur. “Occasionally, our system misinterprets human behaviour as automated,” the company acknowledged. Legitimate users who are incorrectly blocked are encouraged to contact customer support at [email protected] for assistance.
Commercial Use and Permissions
For organizations seeking to utilize News Group Newspapers’ content for commercial applications, a clear pathway exists. Interested parties are directed to contact [email protected] to inquire about licensing and permissions.
The publisher’s stance reflects a growing trend among news organizations seeking to control how their content is used in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. By proactively addressing the issue of automated access, News Group Newspapers aims to safeguard its intellectual property and maintain control over its journalistic output.
Why: News Group Newspapers (NGN) is cracking down on automated access to its content to protect its intellectual property and maintain control over its journalistic output in the face of increasing use of AI technologies.
Who: News Group newspapers Limited, including titles like The Sun, is actively blocking automated access. This impacts anyone using AI, machine learning, or data mining tools to scrape their content, as well as organizations seeking commercial use of the data. Legitimate users incorrectly flagged can contact [email protected].
What: NGN is prohibiting automated access, collection, and text/data mining of its content, especially for training large language models (LLMs) without explicit permission. The company is detecting and blocking potentially automated user behavior.
How did it end?: The situation is ongoing.NGN is actively enforcing its existing terms and conditions. For commercial use,interested parties can contact [email protected] to inquire about licensing and permissions. The publisher acknowledges occasional false positives and provides a support channel for legitimate users who are incorrectly blocked.
