Friday, February 16, 2018

Google Removes "View Image" Button

Google removed the "View Image" button from its image search results, with the goal of forcing users to visit the website if they want to copy an image file.



Google made the change because of a licensing deal with Getty Images. The change is frustrating to people who want to freely copy images (and many uses are copyright-free), but it's probably better for artists and photographers who want to control their copyrighted images. By going to the website, users will be more likely to see the usage requirements first.

There's a workaround, though. You can right-click the image when it comes up in results, and then select "View Image in a New Tab." Or you can select "Copy Image Address" to get the URL of the image. Paste that URL into a new tab and it takes you to the same place that "View Image" used to.

Another solution for getting better image searches is to use another search engine, such as DuckDuckGo, which gives you more usable image search results and doesn't track your search history for advertisers.
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4 comments:

James Pailly said...

I noticed this today. I was wondering what had happened. Thought it was a glitch or something.

Ruth Squitieri said...

I noticed it today, too. James, you are ON THE PULSE of what's happening! Thanks for the explanation and workaround!

PhilSee said...

Yeah, noticed this too and have been using the right-click 'view image' as a workaround. I'll give that other search engine you suggested a try though. Thanks - helpful and informative of you james, as always.

Bob said...

I switched to DuckDuckGo amid the surveillance uproar some years ago. Its image search helps me find reference images for drawing -- well, dinosaurs. With this copyright is of particular interest because any dinosaur "photo" is inevitably someone else's artwork. Thus I try to take as little as possible from them. Although I'll admit to tracing a couple back in my early days on the Dinotopia Message Board... And I very much appreciate how you allow us Dinotopia fans to play in your sandbox, subject to only a few common-sense rules.