Akamai has introduced a security framework to manage AI agent traffic, aimed at businesses that need to verify whether automated requests should be allowed to act.

Built into its Bot & Agent Control products, the framework combines identity checks, traffic monitoring and enforcement at the network edge. It targets merchants, publishers and other organisations facing a rise in automated requests from AI agents acting on users’ behalf.

The launch reflects a broader industry focus on whether an AI agent can be tied to an authorised human user and whether its behaviour can be trusted. That question has become more urgent as agents begin to shop, retrieve content and carry out tasks previously completed directly by people in browsers or apps.

Akamai’s model is built around six areas: verified identity, user-linked authentication, trust analysis, edge enforcement, content monetisation and traffic visibility. It is working with several partners to connect those elements.

One part of the framework focuses on agent identity in commercial transactions. Akamai is working with Visa on the Trusted Agent Protocol and with Skyfire and Experian on the Know Your Agent framework, intended to let agents declare identity, origin and intent while linking them to the platforms they use and the users they represent.

The approach is designed to help businesses distinguish between a legitimate AI shopping assistant and a malicious bot that may appear similar when it first connects to a website. It also aims to provide an audit trail for transactions carried out by software acting for a person.

Visa said agent identity will be a basic requirement if automated commerce is to expand.

“Without trusted identity and explicit permissioning, AI agents cannot participate in commerce at scale,” said Rubail Birwadker, Senior Vice President, Head of Growth Products and Partnerships, Visa. “Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol provides the identity layer that defines how agents are authenticated, authorized, and trusted at the transaction level so businesses and consumers can transact with confidence.”

Experian described the issue as one of transparency and accountability in AI-led interactions.

“AI agents are quickly becoming part of digital commerce, but trust will determine how far and how fast adoption grows,” said Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian. “With the Experian Agent Trust framework, we are helping businesses bring more transparency and accountability to AI-driven interactions by verifying identities, assessing risk, and strengthening confidence in every transaction. Our collaboration with Akamai and other ecosystem leaders reflects the industry’s shared commitment to building a secure foundation for agentic commerce that consumers and businesses can trust in real time.”

Skyfire, which is also involved in the identity effort, said commercial use of agents depends on a recognised trust layer.

“AI agents can’t participate in the economy without trusted identity and the ability to transact,” said Amir Sarhangi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Skyfire. “Skyfire provides that foundation – enabling agents to authenticate, operate within policy, and access global payment rails. With Akamai, we’re bringing that trust layer to the edge, so enterprises can securely enable trusted agents without re-architecting their existing systems.”

Identity checks

Another element covers the hand-off between a human user and an AI agent. Integrations with identity providers including Auth0 and Ping Identity allow organisations to apply existing checks such as behavioural analysis and multi-factor authentication to the agents their customers use.

The idea is that a company should not rely only on a session or browser signal when an agent is involved. Instead, it should be able to assess who the agent represents, what it is permitted to do and whether its actions match the user’s established profile.

“AI agents introduce a new trust challenge because session-based trust alone is no longer sufficient. Organisations need to understand who they represent, what agents are allowed to do, and how their actions are governed in real time,” said Loren Russon, Vice President, Product Management, Ping Identity. “By combining Ping’s Runtime Identity capabilities with Akamai’s edge enforcement and visibility, enterprises can extend identity and access controls to AI-driven interactions with stronger accountability and oversight.”

Akamai said the framework also moves beyond a simple allow-or-block approach. Its trust analysis layer is intended to assess interactions across browsers, bots and agents on a spectrum, helping organisations decide which requests support commercial goals and which may signal fraud, abuse or operational risk.

Publisher model

For publishers and content owners, the system also addresses how AI agents access and pay for web content. Partnerships with TollBit and Skyfire support models in which access can be negotiated and charged on a pay-per-request basis.

That could give media groups and other content businesses a way to distinguish between ordinary visitors, beneficial agents and scraping activity, while also setting commercial terms for machine-driven access to material on their sites.

The framework is tied to Akamai’s traffic analysis tools, including TrafficPeak, which can provide a view of how human users, useful AI agents and malicious bots interact with websites over time. Security teams and business managers can then use that data to adjust access rules and revenue strategies.

At the infrastructure level, enforcement happens at the edge of Akamai’s distributed network, allowing decisions on incoming requests to be made quickly without shifting checks to a central system.

Patrick Sullivan, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer of Security Strategy, Akamai, said the goal is to give businesses a way to tie identity to decision-making as automated interactions increase.

“AI agents are replacing clicks, acting and handling commerce for us. For that to work, businesses need to recognize not just the agent, but who is behind it and what it’s trying to do,” said Sullivan. “We’ve built this so that identity informs visibility, visibility drives trust, and trust powers the decisions that let companies safely grow and monetize these new AI interactions. We’re giving businesses the confidence to open their doors to AI without compromising security.”

LPPC Environmental Ltd, which operates as Pest Control Aberdeenshire, provides environmentally friendly pest and bird control services for households and businesses across the UK.

The company was founded in April 2023 and has bases in Aberdeen and Bolton.

The Pest Control Aberdeenshire website reads: “We’re passionate about the environment and providing pest control solutions that help wildlife and humans co-exist.

“We’re dedicated to deterring pests naturally, using traditional pest control methods such as hawking and falconry.

“Our pest control methods are both effective and non-toxic, and we always try to use a natural solution to deal with vermin where possible.”

LPPC Environmental Ltd falls into administration

After just three years in business, LPPC Environmental Ltd looks set to shut down after falling into administration.

A petition to wind up the company was presented to the Aberdeen Sheriff Court back in March, according to The Gazette.

The petition requested permission for the company to be “wound up by the Court and to appoint a liquidator”.

An administration order was granted on May 8, while Kevin Mapstone of BTG Begbies Traynor was appointed administrator on June 5.

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett and Claire’s both closed all their stores in April, having previously fallen into administration.

UK fashion retailers Leading Labels and Quiz are also set to close their remaining stores after falling into liquidation.

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

Four UK travel companies have closed in 2026:

Luxury UK holiday company Salamander Voyages also shut down back in April after entering administration.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It’s not been all bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Plus-size clothing brand Evans has also returned to the UK high street in 2026 after closing all its stores and concessions in December 2020.

Have you used Pest Control Aberdeenshire before? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

Stand With Crypto UK has launched a campaign urging customers to file formal complaints against banks that block transfers to cryptocurrency exchanges. The group says it represents 286,000 advocates in the UK.

The campaign began with an installation at Reuters Plaza in Canary Wharf, where three large blocks of ice containing banknotes were displayed to symbolise money consumers can see but cannot access. Stand With Crypto UK is asking supporters to complain to their banks about what it describes as blanket restrictions on transfers to cryptoasset exchanges registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.

The move escalates a long-running dispute between parts of the banking sector and the crypto industry over fraud controls, consumer protection and access to digital asset markets. Stand With Crypto UK argues that many banks have imposed broad limits or outright bans regardless of the exchange involved or the individual customer’s risk profile.

Industry data cited by the group suggests the scale of those restrictions. The Locked Out report by the UK Cryptoassets Business Council, based on a survey of 10 of the UK’s largest crypto exchanges, found that 40% of all UK crypto transactions are either blocked or restricted by banks.

According to the same report, one exchange recorded nearly £1 billion in declined transactions in a single year due to bank-side rejections. Over the previous 12 months, 80% of surveyed exchanges reported a measurable increase in blocked or limited transfers.

The issue affects a market that already reaches a notable share of the population. Financial Conduct Authority consumer research found that around 8% of UK adults currently hold cryptoassets, giving the dispute significance beyond specialist trading circles.

Consumer pressure

Rather than relying solely on regulatory lobbying, the campaign aims to apply direct pressure through bank complaint procedures. Stand With Crypto UK says banks’ responses will help determine its next steps.

The organisation says its supporters include consumers, business owners, entrepreneurs and investors who want to move their own money to legal trading venues. It argues that broad bank restrictions amount to one-size-fits-all policies in a sector where the exchanges involved are already registered with the UK regulator.

“People across the UK are being blocked from accessing a legal asset class because banks have chosen to impose blanket restrictions on an entire sector. Stand With Crypto’s 286,000 UK advocates are ordinary people, business owners, entrepreneurs and investors. From today, they are formally telling their banks that these restrictions are unacceptable and that consumers should be treated as individuals, not subjected to one-size-fits-all policies,” said Adriana Ennab, Director, Stand With Crypto UK.

The complaint drive also reflects a broader industry argument that banking policy is misaligned with the UK’s stated ambition to support digital asset activity. Crypto companies have long argued that access to basic payment rails remains one of the biggest barriers to retail participation.

Coinbase, which backs Stand With Crypto, framed the issue in terms of both national policy and customer access. The exchange has been among the companies pressing for clearer rules and more consistent treatment from financial institutions.

“The Government has set out a vision to make the UK a global hub for digital assets and Web3. That vision requires retail participation, where everyday people hold and engage with cryptoassets. But banks are choking off the crucial on-ramp from fiat money into crypto. They are putting the Government’s digital asset ambitions at risk at a time when the global race for digital assets is intensifying,” said Katie Harries, Head of Policy, Europe, Coinbase.

Bank tensions

Relations between banks and crypto businesses in the UK have been strained for several years. Lenders have tightened controls in response to concerns about scams, money-laundering risks, and operational exposure, while crypto firms argue that the response has become too broad and can ensnare legitimate transactions.

Stand With Crypto UK also argues that some financial institutions are taking contradictory positions. It says banks that restrict customer payments to crypto exchanges are also building digital asset teams and exploring their own products in the market.

That criticism reflects a broader competitive debate in financial services. Campaigners argue that if customers are prevented from using regulated channels to access crypto markets, they may be shut out of a legal part of the financial system while institutions remain free to pursue their own commercial strategies in the same area.

The campaign will not by itself change bank policy, but it could generate a substantial volume of customer complaints if even a fraction of the group’s claimed membership takes part. For banks, that could mean having to justify retail crypto restrictions in greater detail to customers who are increasingly familiar with digital assets and may question whether blanket blocks remain proportionate.