Market & Regulation
Strava Tightens API Access Amid AI Scraping Concerns
The Verge AIhigh confidence
Why it matters
- →Strava's move highlights the growing impact of AI tools on data access and platform performance.
- →The subscription model reflects a broader trend of companies monetizing API access to manage demand.
- →Developers must adapt to new costs and restrictions when building apps with Strava's data.
Strava, the fitness-tracking platform, is implementing a subscription fee for developers accessing its API, citing issues with AI scraping. Developers will now need to pay $11.99 per month to use Strava's data, a shift from the previous free access model. This change comes as Strava reports a 448% increase in developer applications, with many using zero-code AI tools that strain the platform. The new policy does not affect device integrations or users' ability to download their data. This move aligns with similar actions by other companies like Reddit to control API usage.
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