Google has removed the ‘view image’ button that appears when you click on a picture, which allows you to open the image alone. The button was very useful for users, as it allowed you to view or save the image. Google has also removed the ‘search by image’ button that appeared when you opened up a photo, which enabled user to search for similar images and images or similar context. After Google announced the removal of the ‘view image’ button from it’s ‘image search’, several users voiced their anger on Twitter saying they will move to other browsers like Microsoft’s Bing and Startpage.
Google, who have signed a deal with Getty Images, removed the ‘view image’ button to curb the lifting of copyright images from its platform. They wanted to stop users from taking an image altogether or driving them through to the website where the image is found. This allows websites who have adverts to get more revenue. Several users suggested people should try rival image search engines such as Bing which still has a “view image” button.
Wow, never thought I’d ever have any reason to use Bing instead of Google but once again Google has proven they can keep surprising me. Bing is actually pretty nice now that I’ve been given a reason to try it out, may just use this instead from now on entirely.
— Mister Lich (@MisterLich) February 16, 2018
Looks like I be jumping over to @bing for my work reached web needs. You literally removed the most used feature of your search for professional artists, designers, photographers, marketing researchers etc. Good luck!
— ◄ Filip Aleksandrow (@PixelSurgery) February 16, 2018
Others pointed out that right-clicking an image in Google’s Chrome browser, and clicking ‘open image’ in new tab’ replicated the missing function.
According to media reports, Google will make copyright attribution and disclaimers more prominent in image search results. “The change is essentially meant to frustrate users. Google has long been under fire from photographers and publishers who felt that image search allowed people to steal their pictures, and the removal of the view image button is one of many changes being made in response,” said The Verge (An American technology news and media network operated by Vox Media.)
Pictures: Pixabay, Twitter and Supplied