An unexpected phenomenon is affecting Safari users on iOS devices: the appearance of mandatory captchas during Google searches.
iPhone and iPad users who use Safari as their browser and Google as their search engine are experiencing an unusual situation. Over the past few days, during their research sessions, they have been interrupted by a warning from Google blocking the process and requiring verification via captcha. The message that appears is clear: “Our systems have detected unusual traffic coming from your computer network.”
Suspicious Traffic and Security Measures
This temporary blocking is nothing new, but part of a long-standing practice by Google to prevent abuse and automated traffic. Typically, causes for such suspicion include the use of VPN , a high volume of searches in a short time, third-party extensions in the browser, or the presence of malware. However, the increase in reports suggests that the phenomenon is impacting more users than usual, even those who are not using VPNs or other IP masking techniques.
A distinctive element that emerges from recent complaints concerns users who have activated iCloud private relay, a feature available to those who subscribe to iCloud+. This privacy service masks the user’s IP address , making it difficult for Google to recognize it and potentially triggering the unusual traffic alert. The use of a temporary IPv6 address, generated by the private relay, could be misinterpreted as an automated traffic signal, thus triggering an invitation to verify the user’s humanity via captcha.
An unsafe solution
Among the suggestions coming from Reddit, many recommend deactivating this private relay , effectively showing the previously hidden data without any filters. Although it actually seems to work as a solution, in all respects it is a mechanism that removes a very important privacy filter, a risk that many other users are highlighting.
While Google has not provided detailed explanations as to why it increased sensitivity in its controls, there is speculation that it may be linked to attempts to prevent data scraping by artificial intelligence services .