No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service for Bots

Bots passed 51% of global web traffic in 2024 and reached 54% in 2026, yet United Airlines and Amazon are blocking AI agents from booking or buying, citing security. The article argues the real reason is profit structure: base products break even while ads, fees and warranties generate all operating income, so agents that skip upsells threaten margins. Shopify, which earns a 3.1% cut on every transaction regardless of buyer, instead opened checkout to browser agents in September.