Google’s new reCAPTCHA has a dark side (fastcompany.com)

Article summary

The article discusses Google's new reCAPTCHA system, which determines whether a user is malicious or not based on various factors, including the presence of a Google cookie. Users who have a Google cookie installed on their browser may be given a higher score, indicating they are less likely to be a bot. The reCAPTCHA system has been studied by security researchers, who have found that it uses various signals to determine a user's score. The system's use of cookies and other tracking methods has raised concerns about user privacy.

Main themes

• reCAPTCHA
• Google cookies
• user privacy
• bot detection
• tracking methods

What commenters say

• Google's reCAPTCHA system prioritizes users who are logged into their Google account, potentially compromising user privacy.
• The use of cookies and other tracking methods by reCAPTCHA is a necessary evil to prevent bot activity.
• Users who take steps to protect their privacy, such as using Firefox's resist fingerprinting feature, may be penalized by the reCAPTCHA system.
• The reCAPTCHA system is not foolproof and can be triggered by innocent user behavior, such as reloading a page multiple times.
• Google's business model is based on collecting user data, and the reCAPTCHA system is just one example of how the company prioritizes data collection over user privacy.
• Some users believe that the benefits of using Google's services outweigh the potential privacy risks, while others are more cautious and take steps to protect their privacy.
• The reCAPTCHA system may be biased towards users who are already logged into their Google account, potentially creating a barrier for users who do not have a Google account or do not want to log in.