The RealReal upgrades anti-bot system to curb AI agent shopping
What happened
On 27 October 2026, The Verge reported that second-hand luxury consignment platform The RealReal said it is upgrading its bot-defence system to make it harder for AI agents to log in, add items to baskets and check out on its site. The Verge had previously used Meta's Muse to repeatedly add items to a basket, exploiting the 20-minute basket reservation to block other customers from buying for extended periods. The RealReal chief technology officer Luke Friang said the company had addressed that use case and that agents can still display products and redirect to product pages. The platform has now taken restrictive measures against the basket-hoarding scenario but has not disclosed technical details or a launch date.
Written by AI from the reports · updated 2 h ago
Timeline
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- The Verge · AIThe RealReal won’t let AI agents hog designer clothing
The RealReal, a secondhand luxury fashion consignment retailer, said it's updating its bot defense system, effectively making it harder for AI agents to shop on its site. The change comes days after The Verge reported that an AI agent could be used to take advantage of The RealReal's item reserve system.
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