# BeaverCheck Audit Report — https://www.usatoday.com **Date:** April 4, 2026 **URL:** https://www.usatoday.com **Overall Grade:** C (74/100) **Report:** https://beavercheck.com/results/e882e85b-2f61-49b9-8008-b23a356a2882 ## Top Findings 1. **[CRITICAL]** Page weighs 13.6 MB (4.2 MB transferred) — Performance > Page Weight Budget 2. **[CRITICAL]** 1 button(s) with no accessible text — Accessibility > Link & Button Quality 3. **[CRITICAL]** 1 control(s) without accessible label — Accessibility > Form Accessibility 4. **[CRITICAL]** 19 link(s) with no accessible text — Accessibility > Link & Button Quality 5. **[CRITICAL]** 40 image-only link(s) without alt text — Accessibility > Link & Button Quality --- ## Lighthouse Scores | Category | Score | |----------|-------| | Performance | 52 | | Accessibility | 79 | | Best Practices | 77 | | SEO | 85 | --- ## Security ### Security Headers (A — 85/100) *7 of 10 headers properly configured* - **[WARNING]** HSTS is missing includeSubDomains — Without includeSubDomains, subdomains can still be accessed over HTTP. - **[PASS]** X-Content-Type-Options is properly configured - **[PASS]** X-Frame-Options is properly configured - **[PASS]** Referrer-Policy is properly configured - **[PASS]** Permissions-Policy is set - **[PASS]** Content-Security-Policy is present - **[INFO]** Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy is set but not 'same-origin' - **[WARNING]** Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy header is missing — COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers. - **[PASS]** X-Powered-By header is not present - **[PASS]** Server header is not present ### Content Security Policy (B — 75/100) *3 of 11 CSP checks passed* - **[INFO]** Raw CSP policy - **[WARNING]** default-src directive is missing — default-src provides a fallback for other directives. Set it to restrict default resource loading. - **[INFO]** No script-src or default-src to check for 'unsafe-inline' - **[INFO]** No script-src or default-src to check for 'unsafe-eval' - **[INFO]** No script-src or default-src to check for wildcard - **[PASS]** object-src is set to 'none' - **[WARNING]** base-uri directive is missing — Without base-uri, attackers can inject a tag to hijack relative URLs. Set it to 'self' or 'none'. - **[PASS]** frame-ancestors directive is set - **[WARNING]** form-action directive is missing — form-action restricts where forms can submit data, preventing form hijacking. - **[PASS]** upgrade-insecure-requests is enabled - **[INFO]** Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only is also set — A report-only policy is active alongside the enforcing policy for monitoring. ### TLS & Certificates (A — 90/100) *TLS 1.3, 7 checks passed* - **[PASS]** TLS 1.3 is used - **[PASS]** Strong cipher suite is used - **[INFO]** HTTP/2 is not negotiated — HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance. - **[PASS]** Certificate is valid (expires in 29 days) - **[WARNING]** Certificate expires soon (29 days remaining) — Renew the certificate before it expires to avoid browser warnings. - **[PASS]** Certificate chain has 2 certificates - **[PASS]** Certificate uses modern signature algorithm - **[PASS]** Certificate covers 30 domain(s) - **[PASS]** Certificate is issued by a trusted CA ### Cookie Security (A — 85/100) *8 cookies analyzed, 16 checks passed* - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gup_anonid' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gup_anonid' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gup_anonid' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gup_clientid' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gup_clientid' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gup_clientid' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_ub' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gnt_ub' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_ub' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_sb' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gnt_sb' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_sb' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_eid' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gnt_eid' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_eid' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_w' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gnt_w' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_w' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_i' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie 'gnt_i' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie 'gnt_i' has SameSite=Lax - **[PASS]** Cookie '_ga' has the Secure flag - **[WARNING]** Cookie '_ga' is missing the HttpOnly flag — Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft. - **[PASS]** Cookie '_ga' has SameSite=Lax --- ## Advanced Security ### Subresource Integrity (F — 20/100) *0 of 28 external resources have SRI* - **[WARNING]** External script from vidstat.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.mxpnl.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from www.googletagmanager.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from deeperdive.ai lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from pm-widget.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from gum.criteo.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from nr-events.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.confiant-integrations.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from client.aps.amazon-adsystem.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from static.adsafeprotected.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.confiant-integrations.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.brandmetrics.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from exbd.ex.co lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from c2.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from static.adsafeprotected.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from config.aps.amazon-adsystem.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from secure.cdn.fastclick.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from www.googletagmanager.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from static.criteo.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from connectid.analytics.yahoo.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from pm-widget.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from googleads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from vidstat.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from vidstat.taboola.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. - **[WARNING]** External script from cdn.brandmetrics.com lacks integrity attribute — Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code. ### JS Library Vulnerabilities (A+ — 100/100) *No known vulnerabilities* - **[PASS]** No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected ### Information Leakage (A+ — 100/100) *No exposures* - **[PASS]** security.txt is present — good practice - **[PASS]** No sensitive files exposed ### Email Security (F — 30/100) *No DMARC* - **[WARNING]** No DMARC record found — Without DMARC, email receivers have no policy for handling authentication failures. ### Permissions-Policy (A+ — 100/100) *14 directives, 0 missing* - **[PASS]** bluetooth=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** camera=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** clipboard-read=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** display-capture=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** geolocation=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** local-fonts=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** local-network-access=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** microphone=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** otp-credentials=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** payment=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** serial=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** usb=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** window-management=() — blocked for all origins - **[PASS]** xr-spatial-tracking=() — blocked for all origins ### CORS Configuration (B — 80/100) *No CORS headers* - **[PASS]** No CORS headers present — secure default --- ## Performance ### Page Weight Budget (F — 0/100) *4.2 MB transferred, 402 requests* - **[CRITICAL]** Page weighs 13.6 MB (4.2 MB transferred) - **[WARNING]** JavaScript is 2.7 MB — consider code splitting or lazy loading — Large JavaScript bundles delay interactivity. Split code by route or defer non-critical scripts. - **[WARNING]** Images are 1.0 MB — compress or use modern formats — Convert images to WebP/AVIF and resize to display dimensions to reduce transfer size. - **[WARNING]** 402 HTTP requests — consider bundling or reducing — Each request adds latency. Bundle small files, use sprites, or eliminate unnecessary requests. - **[INFO]** Estimated 0.89 g CO2 per page load ### Third-Party Impact (D — 50/100) *81% third-party, 0 ms blocking* - **[WARNING]** Third-party code accounts for 81% of page weight (3.4 MiB of 4.2 MiB) - **[PASS]** Third-party blocking time is low (0 ms) ### Text Compression (A+ — 100/100) *All text resources are compressed* - **[PASS]** All text resources are compressed ### Image Optimization (B — 75/100) *161 images, 0 KB saveable* - **[PASS]** All images are well-optimized ### JS Execution Cost (F — 20/100) *21114ms total JS execution* - **[WARNING]** Unattributable: 3008ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.confiant-integrations.net/gptprebidnat...: 2630ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/usatodaydemo/loader...: 2219ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://www.usatoday.com/: 1827ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** https://www.usatoday.com/tangstatic/js/pbjsandwich...: 1575ms CPU time - **[WARNING]** Third-party scripts: 16793ms (80% of total) ### Font Loading (A+ — 100/100) *1 fonts (8 KB)* - **[INFO]** 1 font(s) use font-display: swap (FOUT risk but functional) ### JS Bundles (F — 20/100) *83 scripts, 1.1 MB unused* - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/usatodaydemo/loader...: 134 KB unused (38%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.confiant-integrations.net/gptprebidnat...: 80 KB unused (48%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.confiant-integrations.net/gptprebidnat...: 80 KB unused (48%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://cdn.confiant-integrations.net/gptprebidnat...: 80 KB unused (48%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[WARNING]** https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/mana...: 80 KB unused (44%) — Consider code splitting or tree shaking to reduce unused code. - **[INFO]** Total unused JavaScript: 1.1 MB ### Resource Caching (A+ — 100/100) *All resources properly cached* - **[PASS]** No caching issues found ### Critical Rendering Path (A+ — 100/100) *No render-blocking resources* - **[PASS]** No render-blocking resources detected ### Resource Hints (A+ — 100/100) *53 hints, 0 missing preconnects* - **[PASS]** Page uses 53 resource hint(s) --- ## Content Quality ### Links (F — 40/100) *200 links checked, 183 healthy, 17 broken* - **[CRITICAL]** 183 of 200 links are healthy - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://user.usatoday.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://adservice.google.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://tpc.googlesyndication.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://s0.2mdn.net — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://partner.googleadservices.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://www.googletagservices.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://aax.amazon-adsystem.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://bidder.criteo.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 503. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://a.teads.com — Found in . Get "https://a.teads.com": resolve a.teads.com: lookup a.teads.com on 1.1.1.1:53: no such host - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://collector.brandmetrics.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 400. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://polarcdn-terrax.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://bw-prod.plrsrvcs.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://www.usatodaynetworkservice.com — Found in . Returns HTTP 404. - **[WARNING]** Broken link: https://www.usatoday.com — Found in . Get "https://www.usatoday.com": context deadline exceeded - **[CRITICAL]** Broken link: https://www.usatoday.com/ — Found in . Get "https://www.usatoday.com/": context deadline exceeded - **[CRITICAL]** Broken link: https://www.usatoday.com/weather/ — Found in . Returns HTTP 403. ### Mixed Content (A+ — 100/100) *No mixed content detected — all resources use HTTPS.* - **[PASS]** No mixed content detected — all resources use HTTPS ### Open Graph (A — 90/100) *Open Graph tags are well configured for social sharing.* - **[CRITICAL]** og:image is not reachable — The og:image URL could not be fetched. Social platforms won't be able to display it. ### Structured Data (C — 75/100) *1 JSON-LD block(s) found — some improvements recommended.* - **[CRITICAL]** Malformed JSON-LD block #1 — JSON parse error: Mismatch type map[string]interface {} with value array "at index 0: mismatched type with value\n\n\t[{\"@context\":\"http://schema.org\"\n\t^...............................\n" --- ## Infrastructure ### DNS Records (B — 80/100) *4 A records, 13 ms lookup* - **[PASS]** Resolves to 4 IPv4 address(es) - **[INFO]** No IPv6 (AAAA) records - **[WARNING]** CNAME record at zone apex — A CNAME at the zone apex can break MX and NS records. Use ALIAS/ANAME or A records instead. - **[INFO]** No NS records found - **[INFO]** No MX records — email not configured via DNS - **[INFO]** CAA records not checked — CAA record lookup requires a specialized DNS resolver. This check will be available in a future update. - **[INFO]** No SPF record found in TXT records — SPF helps prevent email spoofing. Add a TXT record starting with 'v=spf1'. - **[PASS]** DNS resolution time: 13 ms ### Redirect Chain (A+ — 100/100) *No redirects — direct access* - **[PASS]** No redirects — direct access ### IPv6 Readiness (C — 60/100) *No IPv6 support* - **[INFO]** No IPv6 (AAAA) records found — IPv6 support is increasingly important for global accessibility. About 40% of internet users have IPv6 connectivity. ### Crawlability (A+ — 100/100) *robots.txt present, sitemap with 563 URLs* - **[PASS]** robots.txt is present - **[PASS]** sitemap.xml is present - **[PASS]** sitemap.xml is valid XML - **[PASS]** sitemap.xml contains 563 entries - **[PASS]** robots.txt references sitemap ### URL Variants (A+ — 100/100) *www/non-www, trailing slash, HTTP→HTTPS* - **[PASS]** www/non-www redirect configured correctly (preferred: www) - **[PASS]** HTTP correctly 301-redirects to HTTPS ### Domain Intelligence (A+ — 100/100) *usatoday.com — via GoDaddy Corporate Domains, LLC, 32 years, 4 months old, hosted on Fastly* - **[PASS]** Domain registered until Apr 30, 2027 (1 years, 1 months remaining) - **[INFO]** DNSSEC is not enabled — DNSSEC protects against DNS spoofing attacks. While not required, enabling DNSSEC adds an additional layer of security. Contact your DNS provider to enable it. - **[PASS]** Registrar: GoDaddy Corporate Domains, LLC - **[PASS]** Hosting: Fastly --- ## Compliance ### WCAG Compliance (A+ — 100/100) *No testable criteria* ### Cookie Consent & Privacy (C — 60/100) *No consent signals detected* - **[WARNING]** No privacy policy link detected — A privacy policy page is recommended for transparency and may be legally required. - **[INFO]** No terms of service link detected - **[INFO]** No cookie consent banner detected - **[WARNING]** 1 tracking cookie(s) set before user consent — Tracking cookies should only be set after the user provides consent. Consider adding a consent management platform. - **[INFO]** This is an automated check, not legal advice — BeaverCheck detects technical indicators of consent management. This does not constitute a legal compliance assessment. Consult a privacy professional for GDPR/CCPA compliance. ### Language & i18n (A — 90/100) *Lang attribute present* - **[PASS]** attribute is present - **[PASS]** value is valid - **[INFO]** No Content-Language HTTP header - **[INFO]** Language signals are inconsistent — The attribute and Content-Language header should agree. ### Readability & Typography (A+ — 100/100) *Font sizes and tap targets checked* ### Viewport Configuration (A+ — 100/100) *Viewport properly configured* - **[PASS]** Viewport meta tag is present - **[PASS]** width=device-width is set - **[PASS]** User zooming is allowed --- ## Legal ### Legal Page Ecosystem (C — 65/100) *3 of 7 expected legal pages detected* - **[PASS]** Privacy Policy detected — Found at https://cm.usatoday.com/privacy. - **[PASS]** Terms of Service detected — Found at https://cm.usatoday.com/terms/. - **[INFO]** Cookie Policy not detected — No link matching common Cookie Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Cookie Policy, especially those collecting user data. - **[PASS]** Accessibility Statement detected — Found at https://cm.usatoday.com/accessibility/. - **[INFO]** DMCA / Copyright Notice not detected — No link matching common DMCA / Copyright Notice URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a DMCA / Copyright Notice, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Refund / Returns Policy not detected — No link matching common Refund / Returns Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Refund / Returns Policy, especially those collecting user data. - **[INFO]** Acceptable Use Policy not detected — No link matching common Acceptable Use Policy URL patterns or link text was found. Most websites are expected to have a Acceptable Use Policy, especially those collecting user data. ### Copyright Notice (A+ — 100/100) *© 2026 USA TODAY* - **[PASS]** Copyright notice is up to date — Copyright notice is up to date: © 2026 USA TODAY - **[PASS]** Copyright holder: USA TODAY ### Regulatory Indicators *3 regulatory indicator(s) detected* - **[INFO]** This is a technical scan, not a legal assessment — BeaverCheck detects technical indicators that may suggest regulatory relevance. This is not a compliance audit and should not be relied upon for legal decisions. Consult qualified legal counsel for compliance assessments. - **[INFO]** GDPR indicators detected (moderate confidence) — Indicators suggesting GDPR may be relevant: Privacy policy page found. EU General Data Protection Regulation — governs collection and processing of personal data of EU residents. - **[INFO]** ADA indicators detected (moderate confidence) — Indicators suggesting ADA may be relevant: Accessibility statement page found. Americans with Disabilities Act / Section 508 — requires digital accessibility for people with disabilities. - **[INFO]** HIPAA indicators detected (weak confidence) — Indicators suggesting HIPAA may be relevant: Text mentions: phi. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — protects sensitive patient health information. ### Third-Party Data Sharing *2 third-party service(s) detected* - **[INFO]** Data inventory for transparency purposes — This inventory identifies third-party services that receive data from your site visitors. Under regulations like GDPR (Article 30), maintaining records of data processing activities is commonly considered a best practice. This automated scan provides a starting point — it may not capture all data flows. - **[INFO]** 2 third-party services across 1 categories — 2 third-party services detected across 1 categories: Analytics (2). Each of these services receives some user data from your site visitors. - **[INFO]** Google Analytics (Analytics) — Detected via script URL. Typically collects: Page views, User behavior, Demographics, Device info, IP address. Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Data Processing Agreement available. - **[INFO]** Mixpanel (Analytics) — Detected via script URL. Typically collects: User events, Behavior analytics, Device info. Privacy policy: https://mixpanel.com/legal/privacy-policy/. Data Processing Agreement available. ### Compliance Badges (B — 70/100) *1 compliance badge(s) detected* - **[PASS]** TRUSTe / TrustArc badge detected — Found via body text: 'truste'. Note: the presence of a badge does not verify the certification is current or valid. --- ## Availability ### CDN & Delivery (D — 50/100) *No CDN detected* - **[WARNING]** No CDN detected — A CDN can significantly improve load times for users around the world by caching content at edge nodes closer to them. ### HTTP Caching (D — 45/100) *no-store (uncacheable)* - **[INFO]** Cache-Control: no-store prevents all caching — Intentional for dynamic content, but increases server load for every page view. - **[PASS]** ETag present — enables conditional (304) responses --- ## Accessibility ### Landmark Structure (A — 85/100) *23 landmarks* - **[PASS]**
landmark present - **[PASS]** 1