Detection approach
System time zone is UTC on desktop browser. Genuine desktop users almost always have localized time zones, whereas servers, automated scrapers, and headless Docker instances default to UTC.
How this helps detect bots
Collect this signal alongside session context, request metadata, and other independent indicators. A single anomaly is a lead, not a verdict; corroborating anomalies make automated traffic more likely.
Legitimate traffic to consider
Privacy advocates configuring their operating system or secure browsers (e.g. Tor, Tails OS) to UTC to prevent tracking.
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