Forget security – Google's reCAPTCHA v2 is exploiting users for profit

A University of California, Irvine study argues that Google’s reCAPTCHA—especially v2 and v3—offers limited real security, is broadly bypassable, and externalizes significant costs in user time, bandwidth, energy, and privacy, potentially serving data-harvesting purposes. The report cites prior research defeating image and behavioral challenges, quantifies societal costs, and contrasts Google’s response with the authors’ rebuttals questioning transparency, purpose, and effectiveness.