The "see the picture" feature has not existed since Thursday on Google Images. The button has been removed. This seemingly minor change is part of the Californian giant's desire to reduce theft of images online.
"Today, we are making a few changes to Google Images to connect users and websites. This will include removing the "View Image" button. The "Consult" button will not change, so users will be able to see the images in the context of the web pages they are on, "the company announced on Twitter this week.
This button appeared when you clicked on an image in the search engine. It allowed to see the photos in large format, without accessing their original web page.
Without this tool, an extra step is needed. Internet users will now have to click one more and wait for the site to download in full to find the desired image.
Protect copyright ...
Google has long been the target of criticism from photographers and publishers, who denounce the ease of stealing images on the search engine.
In 2016, the Getty image bank filed a lawsuit against Google with the European Commission for anti-competitive practices. She accused him of "promoting piracy".
The removal of the "View image" button occurs one week after the conclusion of an international license agreement between the two companies.
... and generate more revenue
Forcing the public to access the websites is also to ensure that it is exposed to advertising on the same site. One way to generate more revenue, but an irritant for Internet users for whom the process becomes longer and heavier.
That said, it is possible to circumvent this obligation. Just right click and choose the option "Open the image in a new tab". The image will then open in its actual size in a new URL and you can save it.
