Amazon restricts customer review access, citing AI bot concerns

Amazon is inadvertently blocking some of its human customers from accessing product reviews as the e-commerce giant attempts to prevent unauthorized data scraping by AI bots. The company confirmed it is working to restrict scraping, but its measures are mistakenly flagging legitimate shoppers as bots, leading to user complaints.

Affected customers report being able to view only a limited number of reviews per product. To regain full access, they must submit an email appeal to Amazon and wait several business days for a resolution. Amazon has acknowledged "isolated instances" where customers experienced access issues, stating they have worked to restore it.

Details on when the restrictions began, how many users are affected, or the specific behaviors triggering false positives remain undisclosed by Amazon. One long-time Prime subscriber, Fred Hall, was told by customer service that he had violated terms of use regarding data extraction, despite his claims of normal usage. He expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and the algorithmic tuning he believes is too sensitive.

The situation reflects a broader industry challenge: as AI agents become more adept at mimicking human behavior online, platforms struggle to differentiate between bots and real users. This has prompted other companies, like Google with its reCAPTCHA updates and Reddit's blocking of search engines, to implement new verification methods, potentially increasing friction for all users.

Amazon's efforts to combat AI scraping also extend to legal action, including a lawsuit against AI company Perplexity. This ongoing struggle highlights the difficulty for platforms in protecting their data while ensuring a seamless experience for their genuine customer base.