Red Ventures, the owner of CNET, has been attempting to sell the tech website, but the AI scandal has negatively impacted the site's reputation, making the sale difficult.
In January 2023, CNET faced controversy for not adequately disclosing the use of AI in generating articles, leading to an apology and corrections after the scandal came to light. This scandal has tarnished CNET's reputation, and coupled with a sluggish ad market and rising interest rates, it has become challenging to sell the website.