Fitness tracking platform Strava announced it will begin charging developers a monthly subscription fee of $11.99 to access its application programming interface (API), citing concerns over unauthorized data scraping by artificial intelligence applications.

The company updated its developer portal to implement the new pricing structure, marking a significant shift from its previously free API access model. Strava specifically blamed zero-code AI applications and data scrapers for the policy change, as these tools have been extracting user fitness data without proper authorization.

The timing of the API restrictions comes as Strava is reportedly preparing for a potential initial public offering, suggesting the company is looking to better monetize its data assets and protect user information ahead of going public. The fitness platform has built a substantial user base that shares detailed workout data, making it an attractive target for AI companies seeking training data.

Developers who wish to continue building applications that integrate with Strava's platform will now need to pay the flat monthly fee, regardless of their usage volume. The company framed the change as necessary to maintain data security and prevent misuse of user information by unauthorized third parties.

The move reflects broader industry concerns about AI companies scraping data from platforms without permission to train their models, with many technology companies now implementing stricter access controls and monetization strategies for their APIs.