The issue with Brave and Chrome receiving the "Are you a bot?" prompt while accessing Amazon—and Microsoft Edge or Firefox not being affected—might stem from several factors unique to browser behaviors, configurations, or website security filters. Here’s a breakdown of possible causes:
1. Browser Identification and Security Policies
Websites like Amazon deploy
bot and DDoS protection systems (such as Cloudflare or custom AWS filters) to ensure that the incoming traffic is legitimate. They assess:
- Browser User-Agent: The browser's "identity string" is read to determine whether it's a recognized browser or a bot.
- Chrome and Brave, both Chromium-based, might have similarities in their User-Agent strings that trigger suspicion in the anti-bot filters.
- Microsoft Edge, despite being chromium-based, often sends a unique User-Agent string with Microsoft-specific headers that make it appear distinct from generic Chromium browsers.
2. Cached or Blocked IP Reputation
Amazon might temporarily flag an IP address based on:
- High traffic or multiple requests (e.g., due to background Chrome/Brave extensions or tabs).
- A perceived VPN/proxy being used (even without your knowledge).
- Suspicious cookies or session data stored when interacting with Amazon previously. Clearing this data resolved a similar issue .
3. Cookies & Session State
Browsers vary in how they handle persistent cookies and session data:
- Amazon might enforce stricter bot-detection mechanisms for Chromium browsers that appear less trusted.
- Edge and Firefox might bypass this issue due to better cookie handling or Amazon’s bias toward certain configurations.
4. Known Vulnerabilities and Browser Updates
Browsers that fall even slightly behind in updates could trigger certain site security features. Chromium (the engine powering Chrome and Brave) has rapid update cycles, and the likelihood of patches being pinpointed as a necessity increases over time in hostile servers .
Your Additional Findings
- Slower Boot in Windows 11:
While unrelated to this issue, you mentioned slower startup times with Windows 11 compared to Windows 10. This is likely due to older hardware (DDR3) being less optimized for demanding modern OS features like virtualized security or background telemetry.
- Wi-Fi Variations Between PCs:
Two PCs with similar prompts in different browsers indicate that browser behavior is indeed the target, not hardware.
How Has It Resolved Now?
Since the behavior isn’t occurring anymore, it’s likely that:
- Your IP was temporarily flagged but cleared over time.
- Amazon’s bot detection system reset for your account or device setup.
- Any changes in cookies or active extension configurations resolved the problem.
Steps to Prevent Future Issues
- Clear Browser Cache and Cookies Regularly
Particularly for Amazon, as cached cookies or spoofing attempts could result in false positives.
- Check Extensions
Chrome and Brave allow extensions that may flag additional requests validating scripts. Disable any Amazon-related plugins or ad blockers.
- Keep Browsers Up to Date
Verify updates for Brave or Chrome. Check if any pending vulnerabilities (addressed via patches) relate to browser-based bot prompts .
- Switch Browser Temporarily
If the issue recurs, use Edge temporarily for specific sites like Amazon, as it seems less prone to trigger these prompts.
If the issue arises consistently or you encounter other website-specific blocking, feel free to reach out for further advice! It’s been a great conversation exploring these interesting quirks in browsers' behaviors, and happy browsing on your systems!
