Mozilla Proposes PACT: Anonymous Credentials to Replace Device Attestation for Bot Defense

Pact: Anonymous Credentials for the Web

Mozilla unveiled PACT, an anonymous credential scheme that lets sites enforce per-visitor rate limits without device attestation or identity checks. The core bet: sites don't need to know who you are or what hardware you run—they just need proof you haven't exceeded a rate cap. The post calls out Google's abandoned Web Environment Integrity and Apple's deployed Private Access Tokens, arguing the former would kill browser competition and the latter ties web access to expensive hardware. The article cuts off mid-sentence before explaining what scarce resource PACT would anchor to instead of hardware. The direction is sound, but the missing piece is the whole game.

Why it matters: Mozilla proposes PACT as a privacy-preserving alternative to Google's abandoned WEI and Apple's deployed PAT. Strong topic with concrete crypto design, but it's still a proposal, and the audience fit leans more web infra than pure AI.