You tap, you scroll, and suddenly a wall appears. A cold error box claims you’re not human. What just happened?
Across major news sites, anti-bot systems are ramping up. Real readers are sometimes caught in the crossfire. One publisher now spells out why it stops automated access, what counts as text and data mining, and how a human can get unblocked.
What triggered that chilling message
When a site’s defence system flags unusual behaviour, it may present a verification screen or deny access outright. That message often appears when software suspects automation rather than a person. News Group Newspapers, the publisher behind several national titles, warns that it forbids automated access, collection, or text and data mining of its content. The rule applies to any crawler or script, including systems built for AI, machine learning, or large language models.
News Group Newspapers prohibits automated access, collection, or text/data mining of its content, including for AI, machine learning, or LLMs, as set out in its terms and conditions.
False alarms do happen. The company admits that genuine readers can be misread by the filters. It directs users who believe they were blocked in error to contact support.
Occasional misfires can label human behaviour as automated. If you are a legitimate user, you can email [email protected] for assistance. Commercial users should request permission at [email protected].
Why websites suspect you
Detection tools look for patterns tied to bots. They inspect how fast you click, what your browser reveals, and whether required features run correctly. If several signals align, the system acts. Here are the red flags that most often trip the wire.
- 1. Sudden bursts of requests: Dozens of pages or assets fetched in seconds from the same device or network.
- 2. Disabled or blocked JavaScript: Essential code never runs, which resembles a headless scraper.
- 3. Cookies turned off or frequently wiped: The site cannot maintain a stable session or recall your previous visit.
- 4. VPN or proxy anomalies: Shared exit IPs push many readers through one gateway, which mimics a single busy bot.
- 5. Unusual browser fingerprints: Mismatched user-agent strings, missing fonts, or rare platform signatures.
- 6. Robotic interaction patterns: No mouse movement, identical intervals between clicks, or perfect scroll lines.
- 7. Aggressive extensions: Tools that strip trackers, rewrite headers, or block resources required for verification.
Five quick fixes that calm the scanners
Small changes often restore access within minutes. Make these adjustments and try again.
- 1. Refresh and slow down: Reload once, wait a few seconds, and avoid hammering the back button.
- 2. Enable JavaScript and cookies: Allow essential scripts and first-party cookies for the news site.
- 3. Pause your VPN or change location: Switch to a less crowded exit node or use a direct connection.
- 4. Tame your extensions: Temporarily disable ad blockers, privacy filters, and header modifiers on the domain.
- 5. Contact support with details: Share the error text, time, IP, and a screenshot so the team can trace the block.
What this publisher expects
The policy is straightforward. The company bars automated scraping and mining, whether the intent is commercial analysis, model training, or bulk archiving. It points commercial users to [email protected] for licensing discussions. For genuine readers who get flagged, [email protected] remains the route to a fix. The publisher also states the ban in its terms and conditions, which govern access to its service.
What counts as text and data mining
Text and data mining refers to the automated extraction of content at scale for analysis or reuse. That can include scraping thousands of articles with scripts, copying passages to train a model, or using an intermediary service to harvest pages. A single person reading a story in a browser is not mining. A script that pulls every story in a section is.
| Activity | How sites view it | Safer alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk downloading full articles with a bot | Prohibited mining | Request a licence; use official APIs if offered |
| Using a headless browser to copy text | Likely prohibited | Read normally in a browser; copy small excerpts for personal notes |
| Ad blocker that breaks scripts | Can look suspicious | Whitelist the site or allow required resources |
| Researcher sampling a few pages manually | Usually acceptable reading | Check the terms; request permission for projects |
The broader battle over bots
Publishers face rising costs as automated tools lift content without permission. Anti-bot services score every visit in real time. They blend network reputation, device signals, and behaviour patterns. When a score crosses a threshold, the gate closes. That system protects revenue and copyright. It can also snare people who value privacy and use strong blockers. The trade-off shapes daily access for millions of readers.
Risks and rights for readers
A misfire can lock you out mid-article, prevent comments, or wipe a saved basket in a shop. Repeated flags may lead to longer blocks. You can reduce friction by setting a site-specific profile. Allow the essential scripts. Keep one VPN server that behaves consistently. Ensure your browser sends a normal user-agent. Check the terms and conditions to understand the boundaries. Most publishers treat automated collection as a contract breach. Some also rely on copyright and database rights to pursue misuse.
Three practical steps if you are locked out for hours
- Take a clean path: Use a different browser profile with no extensions and no VPN. Try a mobile connection if possible.
- Provide a trace: Note the exact time, timezone, IP address, and the full error wording. Support teams need those details.
- Ask about whitelisting: If you subscribe or log in, request a review tied to your account or IP range.
Seven clues, explained with fixes
Fast bursts suggest a script. Pace your requests and avoid opening ten tabs at once. Missing JavaScript breaks consent tools and meters; enable it for the domain. If cookies vanish, your session resets and looks erratic; keep first-party cookies. VPNs share exits with heavy users; rotate to a quieter endpoint. Odd fingerprints arise from hardened browsers; create a normal profile for reading. Robotic patterns stand out; move the mouse naturally and avoid macro tools. Extensions that rewrite headers confuse detectors; switch them off for news sites.
Extra help for readers and teams
Teams in schools or offices often sit behind a single public IP. That address inherits the behaviour of everyone on the network. If a colleague runs a scraper, the whole office may get flagged. Network admins can lower risk by rate-limiting outbound requests to news domains and by keeping browser updates current. Readers at home can split usage: one browser for privacy-heavy tasks and one clean browser for everyday news.
If you need legitimate commercial access to content for analytics, seek permission before you build. State your use case, volume, and frequency when you write to [email protected]. If you are a reader wrongly blocked, summarise what happened and send it to [email protected]. Include screenshots and a timestamp. That saves everyone time and speeds a fix.
So my lightning-fast scrolling finger is a suspect now? Guess I need to scroll like a Victorian gentleman sipping tea.