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Google’s brilliant solution to one of the Internet’s most annoying problems

Published Dec 3rd, 2014 4:40PM EST
Google Captcha Puzzle Replacement

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If there’s one thing more annoying than overly complex password requirements, it’s barely legible captcha puzzles that websites use to determine whether or not we’re really human beings or are just bots trying to set up spam accounts. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google has come up with a brilliant solution to this problem that not only minimizes the use of captcha puzzles but also involves one of the Internet’s favorite things: Pictures of cute animals.

RELATED: Google may have finally figured out how to kill the password once and for all

For most of the time, the solution involves having users simply check a box on a website that reads, “I am not a robot.” Google would only make users perform captcha puzzles if they exhibit bot-like behaviors such as coming from suspicious IP addresses or applying to multiple accounts on the same website in a short period of time.

As if that weren’t cool enough, Google’s captcha replacement tool gets even better for smartphones.

“On mobile phones, Google’s new tool would allow users to match pictures, rather than parse small lines of text,” the Journal writes. “For instance, Google may show an image of a turkey, and users would have to click on pictures of other turkeys, which may appear near pictures of cats and dogs.”

Check out the Journal’s full report on Google’s captcha replacement plan by clicking the source link below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.