Pop-ups ask you to “prove you’re real”, pages freeze, and your morning reading gets blocked. You didn’t do anything wrong, right?
Across major news sites, bot shields now stand between readers and content. When they misfire, real people get flagged, journeys stall, and confusion grows. Here is why you are seeing it, what it says about the AI scraping boom, and how to get back in.
Why you’re seeing “help us verify you as a real visitor”
Publishers face a surge in automated traffic. Security systems watch for patterns that look mechanical: very fast page requests, blocked scripts, privacy tools stripping signals, or IP addresses known for bot activity. When the pattern matches a crawler profile, the defence triggers. Sometimes it catches the wrong target.
Industry filters now judge pace, fingerprints and network reputation in milliseconds. A small change in your setup can tip you from “human” to “suspect”.
News Group Newspapers, the owner of titles such as The Sun, states plainly that automated access, collection or text and data mining of its content is not allowed. The warning singles out AI, machine learning and LLM training as restricted uses. If a reader gets blocked in error, the message invites them to contact support (for example, [email protected]) or request commercial permissions via [email protected].
The bigger picture: AI scraping meets publisher lockouts
Generative AI models rely on vast amounts of text. That has driven a market for crawling tools that harvest web pages at scale. Many publishers now treat that behaviour as a commercial use that needs a licence. Some add paywalls. Others deploy aggressive bot management. A growing number do both.
Automated scraping now sits on the fault line between press rights, reader access and AI model hunger. The legal and technical squeeze tightens from all sides.
In the UK, copyright law has a narrow exception that lets non-commercial research bodies run text and data analysis on works they can lawfully access. That does not open the door to bulk scraping of paywalled material. Contracts, terms of service and access controls still apply. For commercial data mining, permission is the safer route.
Seven everyday behaviours that can trigger a false positive
- Running a VPN or corporate proxy that shares an IP with heavy traffic.
- Blocking JavaScript or third‑party cookies, which hides signals security tools expect.
- Using aggressive ad or tracker blockers that break page scripts.
- Opening many tabs at once and refreshing rapidly.
- Browser extensions that alter headers or prefetch links in the background.
- Clock or time‑zone mismatch that does not match your IP’s region.
- Old cached cookies from earlier visits clashing with new security rules.
Three quick fixes that get most readers back in
Check the basics
Allow JavaScript and cookies for the site. Pause ad blockers on the domain. Turn off “enhanced” anti‑tracking modes temporarily. Reload the page after a full browser restart.
Simplify your network path
Disconnect from your VPN and try a normal connection. If you need a VPN, pick a UK exit node with low usage and keep it stable. Avoid rotating IP settings.
Reset your signals
Clear site cookies and cached data for the publisher only. Sign in again if you have an account. Set your device time and time‑zone to automatic. Close other heavy tabs for a minute and try again.
If you still see the block, take a screenshot or copy the error text and timestamp, then email the support address shown on the page. Include your public IP and a brief description of what you were doing.
What the publisher’s warning actually means
The wording seen on several UK news sites draws a firm line. It bans automated access and mining of content, including for AI training. It also channels legitimate commercial use through a permission mailbox. For readers, that message signals two things: the site is protecting its data at scale, and it expects normal browsing with scripts enabled.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action to take | Typical resolution time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant “verify you” wall on every page | IP reputation or VPN exit node flagged | Switch off VPN or pick a different exit; wait 10–15 minutes | 5–30 minutes |
| Pages half‑load, images missing, then a block | Script or cookie blocked by extensions | Allow scripts and third‑party cookies for the site; reload | 2–5 minutes |
| Block appears after multiple rapid refreshes | Rate limiter sees bot‑like pace | Pause browsing; slow down tab cycling | 10–20 minutes |
| Access on mobile works, desktop fails | Desktop extensions or cached tokens | Use a fresh profile; clear site data; retry | 5–10 minutes |
For researchers and developers: where the risk bites
If you build tools that collect news content, read the terms. Many publishers prohibit any automated access, even low‑rate crawling. Some permit limited access with written consent. Failing to follow those rules can trigger IP bans, takedown notices and claims for breach of contract. Legal costs can climb fast; even a short dispute can burn through five‑figure sums, and a larger case can easily pass £100,000 when fees, time and settlement are counted.
Better paths exist. Negotiate a licence with the rights holder. Use official feeds or APIs when offered. Keep a visible, honest user‑agent string. Respect robots.txt, throttle to rates the site can handle, and store only what you are allowed to use. For AI training, expect explicit permissions, model‑use limits and audit clauses.
How to talk to support without the run‑around
Send the facts first time
- Timestamp of the block (with time‑zone).
- Your public IP address at that moment.
- The full error text and any reference code shown.
- Your browser, version and whether a VPN or proxy was active.
- Steps you already tried.
Keep the note short and polite. Most teams reset a mistaken flag quickly when they have clear details. If the message mentions a specific inbox for permissions or help—such as [email protected] for commercial requests or [email protected] for reader issues—use it.
What this means for readers this year
You will see more verification prompts, not fewer. AI systems keep scaling, and publishers will guard their archives more tightly. Expect occasional friction, especially on shared networks and during big breaking stories when traffic spikes. You can reduce the chance of a block by browsing at a human pace, keeping your setup simple, and avoiding tools that strip vital signals.
Extra context that helps you judge your next step
Think in terms of risk and reward. If you only want to read an article, the quickest route is to enable scripts and cookies and carry on. If you need data for analysis, separate non‑commercial research from anything that touches a product, a model, or a service. Non‑commercial research with lawful access has some protection in UK copyright law, but it does not let you ignore terms, paywalls or access controls.
Teams training models should run a short simulation before touching live sites: set rate limits to one request per second, log every request and response, and record the terms in force on the day you collected content. Then replace scraping with licensed feeds wherever possible. That reduces the legal noise, cuts engineering time, and keeps your access open when you need it most.
Clear breakdown of why bot walls misfire and the three quick fixes. The table was handy, esp. the IP/VPN bit. Small ask: could you add guidence for people on corporate SSO browsers where extensions are locked? Thanks!