Google is looking to get rid of annoying captchas once and for all, as the tech giant is introducing a new way in which users can prove they aren’t bots when they sign into websites.
The new system will replace the old method of asking users to type in often indecipherable words/sentences in order to access webpages, instead asking them to click a simple checkbox that states “I’m not a robot.”
Titled Google’s reCaptcha, this new system takes into considerable the subtlety of the user’s mouse movements when they click the checkbox. The end result looks like this:
If Google cannot determine whether or not the user clicking the checkbox is/is not a bot after this simple task, they will then be asked to go through the standard capture procedure of typing out text. However, Google is confident that reCaptcha will work more often than not.
The process has also been simplified for tablet and smartphone users. While the absence of a mouse will mean that they will not be able to use the new reCaptcha system, they will instead be asked to take part in visual tests similar to the one below, in which the user is asked to select images of cats.
For frequent internet users captchas have become one of the most reviled systems on the web. While they certainly serve a purpose in ensuring that webpages and servers aren’t crippled by non-human users, their implementation is often overly elaborate and not user-friendly.
Speaking of the new reCaptcha system, the product manager of Google’s captcha team Vinay Shet said: “For most users, this dramatically simplifies the experience. They basically get a free pass. You can solve the catptcha without having to solve it.”
Photo: Getty Images
