In a revealing study, Cloudflare has identified a form of digital discrimination that affects users sharing IP addresses through Carrier-Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT). This research, published on November 3, 2025, highlights how internet service providers (ISPs) and online platforms frequently treat traffic from these shared addresses with undue suspicion. The result is often throttled speeds, service blocks, or degraded performance for innocent users, exacerbating existing socioeconomic divides.
At its essence, CGNAT allows multiple users, sometimes hundreds, to share a single public IP address. This technology is particularly common in mobile networks and budget ISPs, especially in regions with limited infrastructure. Cloudflare’s study analyzed global traffic patterns and found that ISPs commonly impose restrictions on CGNAT users, erroneously equating collective behavior with individual malice. When one user behind a shared IP engages in activities like spam or DDoS attacks, the entire group suffers, facing challenges from captcha prompts to outright bans.
Understanding CGNAT and Its Consequences
CGNAT operates by translating private IP addresses to a public one at the carrier level, a necessity due to the limited availability of IPv4 addresses. While IPv6 offers a more expansive solution, its adoption remains slow, leaving CGNAT as a temporary measure for billions of users. Cloudflare’s methodology for detecting CGNAT involves monitoring traffic patterns, such as the number of unique users per IP and variations in connection behaviors.
This detection is crucial because traditional security models treat IP addresses as proxies for user identity. When abuse occurs from a shared address, automated systems flag it, resulting in widespread penalties. As noted in coverage by The Register, innocent users are often “dragged down along with bad actors,” reflecting a need for security models to adapt to the complexities of modern networking.
Moreover, the ramifications of CGNAT bias extend beyond throttling to include content access. Users on CGNAT frequently encounter higher latency or blocked services, as platforms apply blanket restrictions. Cloudflare’s data indicates that this issue is particularly prevalent in mobile networks, impacting essential services such as online education and e-commerce in underserved communities.
A Closer Look at Socioeconomic Impacts
The socioeconomic implications are stark, particularly in regions like Southeast Asia and Latin America, where affordable mobile data plans often lead to a higher concentration of CGNAT users. These individuals, frequently from lower-income backgrounds, experience reduced internet quality, perpetuating a digital divide. Posts on social media platforms in 2025 highlighted how rural populations and marginalized communities bear the brunt of this unequal access, mirroring findings from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Cloudflare’s research aligns with broader internet trends and underscores the fragility of CGNAT-heavy networks. The Q3 2025 Internet Disruptions Report, as reported by WebProNews, illustrates how outages caused by natural disasters or cyberattacks compound the challenges faced by these networks. Such events reveal the urgent need for adaptive security measures that prioritize equitable access.
Industry experts argue for a shift towards probabilistic models that account for shared IP usage, rather than relying solely on traditional IP-based blocking. Critics have pointed out that companies like Cloudflare must balance their commitment to enterprise clients with the necessity of ensuring equitable access for all users.
As the landscape evolves, Cloudflare has made strides toward transparency. Their 2024 Transparency Reports, updated in February 2025, demonstrate a commitment to addressing these disparities, including data on government requests and abuse mitigation.
Innovations in technology are underway, with some ISPs beginning to explore more refined traffic management practices. By detecting CGNAT, these companies can implement adjusted rate-limiting measures, ensuring that a single abuser does not adversely affect the entire user pool. Cloudflare researchers emphasize the importance of moving toward more sophisticated models that acknowledge the reality of shared IP addresses.
In conclusion, as the internet landscape continues to evolve, addressing CGNAT bias requires a multi-faceted approach. This involves technological upgrades, industry standards, and widespread awareness. By highlighting these disparities, Cloudflare’s research not only reveals critical flaws in current security protocols but also charts a path toward a more equitable internet. The challenge remains to ensure that shared addresses do not equate to second-class citizenship, particularly as global connectivity increases.
