Fighting the Bot Wars: Visa Launches New Initiative to Secure Online Shopping
Fighting the Bot Wars: Visa Launches New Initiative to Secure Online Shopping October 31st, 2025, brought welcome news for online shoppers and businesses alike. Visa announced the launch of its "Trusted Agent Protocol" initiative, designed to help retailers and businesses distinguish between legitimate AI shopping agents and malicious bots. This strategic move aims to enhance security, improve the shopping experience, and combat the growing threat of automated fraud. Let's delve into the details of this new protocol and its significance for the future of e-commerce. The Challenge: Good Bots vs. Bad Bots in the Digital Marketplace The proliferation of AI-powered shopping agents, designed to help consumers find the best deals and manage their online purchases, has created new vulnerabilities. While many of these agents are legitimate, bad actors can utilize bots to: Engage in Fraudulent Activities: Automated bots can be used to commit fraudulent transactions, such as cre...