Should unsigned web requests be treated as suspicious? Experts debate the tradeoff

As request-signing standards emerge for automated internet traffic, developers are debating how to handle unsigned requests. One perspective argues that an unsigned request carries no claim at all — it has not lied — and that most legitimate internet traffic remains unsigned. The concern is that penalizing unsigned traffic could stall adoption by creating a chicken-and-egg problem where no one signs because there is no benefit, and there is no benefit because no one signs. A proposed middle ground suggests rewarding verified, signed traffic with faster access and higher limits rather than punishing the absence of a signature. The debate remains open, with some acknowledging that a purely reward-based approach may be too slow to drive meaningful adoption of new signing standards.