July 24, 2024 at 02:42AM
Google’s reCAPTCHA service, initially designed to enhance website security, is accused by researchers at the University of California, Irvine of gathering user information and labor. The researchers argue it is disliked by users, costly, and vulnerable to bots. They estimate the service has cost over $6.1 billion in human time and has potentially generated significant profits for Google.
Based on the meeting notes, it looks like the University of California, Irvine researchers have raised concerns about Google’s reCAPTCHA service. The researchers argue that it may be harvesting user information and labor from websites, contrary to its intended purpose of providing security. They also contend that reCAPTCHA imposes a significant cost in terms of human time and datacenter resources.
Furthermore, the researchers conducted a study of users and found that reCAPTCHA interactions resulted in a substantial amount of human time and energy being spent, potentially leading to significant profits for Google. Despite these concerns, Google has not responded to the researchers’ queries.
In summary, the meeting notes highlight the researchers’ assertion that reCAPTCHA may not be serving its intended security purpose and may instead be capturing user information and labor. They also illustrate the potential impact on human time and energy as well as the profits that Google may be deriving from the service.
If there are any specific action items or additional details you would like me to extract from the meeting notes, please let me know.