Google boils down the Captcha to a simple checkbox to prove you’re not a bot

Google has figured out that there’s an easier way to deter bots on the Internet than using twisted text. The tech giant has come out with a deceptively basic alternative to prevent World Wide Web hijinks to the best of its ability. The new standard is … a checkbox.

All you need to do is click the box next to the phrase “I’m not a robot,” and poof — you’re good to go.

The new technology, dubbed No Captcha reCaptchas, is not only easier to use on desktops but requires just a single tap to get through on a mobile device.

But don’t think Google is taking a step back here. If anything, the company has moved a few steps ahead in the realm of web security, following advances in artificial intelligence, among other areas.

“While the new reCaptcha API may sound simple, there is a high degree of sophistication behind that modest checkbox,” reCaptcha product manager Vinay Shet wrote in a blog post about the new feature that’s scheduled to go live today.

The new approach entails examining user behavior before, during, and after facing the Captcha. Should Google have its suspicions about a user, the company can present a more traditional Captcha.

As for mobile device users, they’ll be shown a small image at the top of a screen. Then they’ll be prompted to select the one from a bunch of images lower down on the screen that most resembles the image at the top.

And the No Captcha reCaptcha is off to a great start.

“Early adopters, like Snapchat, WordPress, Humble Bundle, and several others are already seeing great results with this new API,” Shet wrote. “For example, in the last week, more than 60 percent of WordPress’ traffic and more than 80 percent of Humble Bundle’s traffic on reCaptcha encountered the No Captcha experience — these users got to these sites faster.”

Expect it to become pervasive. Google is now accepting applications from webmasters who want to incorporate the new technology into their sites, Shet wrote.