If you've ever used the Internet before, you've probably crossed paths with a reCAPTCHA. Perhaps it asked you to type some distorted letters. Or to identify a crosswalk. Or maybe it just asked that you click a box assuring it that you're not a robot. Either way, if you've used one of these in the past, you've participated in the scam that is reCAPTCHA.
It started as a relatively simple trick with a wholesome mentality: protect websites from bots while getting people to transcribe some books. It then turned into a more malicious operation: protect websites from bots while getting people to improve Google Street View. And then it reached its final form: protect websites from bots while stealing the data of the website's visitors. Quite the evolution. And here's the real kicker: it doesn't even protect websites from bots. So much for that, I guess.
Sources:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.10911
https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/24/googles_recaptchav2_labor/
https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/02/google_ad_privacy/
https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/29/google-now-using-recaptcha-to-decode-street-view-addresses/
https://www.casilli.fr/2014/12/05/no-captcha-is-google-jargon-for-mechanical-turk-for-free/
https://www.fastcompany.com/90369697/googles-new-recaptcha-has-a-dark-side
