Surge in Automated Traffic from China and Singapore Fuels Confusion among Website Administrators
Since the previous year, administrators of various websites in Western countries have encountered a perplexing rise in web traffic originating primarily from China and Singapore. Initially perceived as an opportunity to reach a broader international audience, this sudden influx of visitors has morphed into a technical conundrum characterized by automated traffic, often referred to as “Chinese bots.” The reasoning behind this occurrence remains shrouded in mystery.
Unusual Traffic Patterns Trigger Online Concerns
The initial signs of this phenomenon were observed when website operators reported significant spikes in visits from Asia. At first glance, the increased numbers seemed like a positive change. However, upon closer inspection, the behavioral patterns of these visitors were anything but human. Metrics indicated that these supposed visitors were spending an average of zero seconds on sites, failing to scroll, click, or engage with any content.
The Case of a Paranormal Activities Website
A compelling example comes from Alejandro Quintero, a website operator from Colombia who focuses on paranormal activities. In October, he experienced an astonishing wave of incoming traffic from China and Singapore, with these regions accounting for over half of his site’s visitors. For a niche platform centered around a specialized subject, this sudden boost was initially exciting. However, analytics soon revealed that the engagement was entirely robotic. The traffic, primarily traced back to Lanzhou, China, provided no real interactions, leading Quintero to suspect that his site was being bombarded by automated bots rather than genuine interest.
Widespread Impact Across Diverse Sites
This issue is not unique to Quintero’s site. Reports indicate that various other platforms, including an Indian lifestyle magazine, a Canadian island blog, and several Shopify stores, have also faced similar challenges. The breadth of affected websites suggests that this bot activity isn’t limited to specific industries but spans a broad range of online platforms.
Data Patterns Reveal Interesting Insights
Analyzing the traffic further provides intriguing insights. Over a 90-day tracking period, approximately 14.7% of visitors to U.S. government websites were traced back to Lanzhou, with 6.6% coming from Singapore. Notably, despite the high traffic numbers, metrics showed that these visitors were not engaging in a meaningful way. While no charges of wrongdoing have emerged, the bots have yet to be directly associated with harmful actions like cyberattacks or malware distribution, leading to unease among web managers and cybersecurity experts.
Theories Behind the Anomaly
One theory gaining traction is that these bots might be harvesting publicly available data for training artificial intelligence systems. Such automated scrapers commonly collect online content for various applications in AI development. Yet, the ethics of such actions remain questionable, especially considering that some companies actively disclose their bot activity while others may not follow similar practices.
The Mystery of Lanzhou
Another enigmatic aspect of this situation stems from the frequent reference to Lanzhou as the source of the activity. Despite its appearance as a hotspot for web traffic, Lanzhou isn’t typically recognized for its technological advancements or data center density. Gavin King, the founder of Known Agents, pointed out that the data may be more about approximate routing than an exact geographical location. He confirmed that much of the traffic seems to pass through Singapore, complicating the narrative further.
Connections to Chinese Infrastructure
While the true origin of the traffic remains uncertain, there’s a discernible link to Chinese server infrastructure. King noted that a significant portion of the bot traffic appears to be routed through servers owned by Tencent. Further investigations revealed similar trends with other notable Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba and Huawei. However, it remains unclear whether the bots themselves are operated by these companies or are merely utilizing third-party leasing arrangements to distribute their traffic.
