Patreon Blocks AI Crawlers via Cloudflare to Protect Creators

Patreon has partnered with Cloudflare to block AI training crawlers from scraping content on its platform. CEO Jack Conte announced the update on Instagram, stating that creators deserve credit, compensation, and consent. The blocking is implemented at the network level across all posts. Patreon SVP of Product Drew Rowny emphasized that creators should control how their work is used, contrasting with other platforms where AI training is often mandatory. Cloudflare committed last year to protecting content from AI crawlers. Conte has previously expressed both amazement and anger at AI technology, arguing that creators are not being paid for the value their work provides to AI models. The move addresses concerns that photographers and other artists have had about their work being used without permission for AI training.