Disha Mitra
iOS 16 would reportedly let users bypass CAPTCHAs on some apps and websites.
Source: Plat 4om
With the launch of iOS 16 this fall, users may across a much awaited update. Reports suggest that users would not have to deal with as many unwanted CAPTCHAs asking them to solve a puzzle or distinguish between fire hydrants as before. Reportedly, Apple Inc is set to come up with a feature for iPhones and Macs called Automatic Verification. This would let certain sites actually know that the user is not a bot without them having to verify.
The two significant content delivery networks that the tech giant has collaborated with for the system’s development are Cloudfare and Fastly. With the launch of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, websites using these to fight spam would now be able to benefit from them, leading to lesser display of CAPTCHAs.
Clearly, a wide range of sites go down when either Cloudfare or Fastly are looking like they are facing issues. Hence, with the implementation of this, a significant part of the internet might become prominently less problematic. This especially include sites where CAPTCHAs frequently appear owing to their use of VPN or frequent clearing of cookies.
Apple’s attempts for this development so far:
Though this is not the first time the tech giant tried to get rid of CAPTCHAs, the new update may actually yield positive results. Private Access Tokens, the underlying system is somewhat similar to Apple’s system to replace passwords. Apparently, it works in a way that the iPhone or Mac looks at various factors determining that the user is a human. As they visit a website requiring a CAPTCHA verification, the site may ask the device if the user is human.
Just like its other pitches, Apple gave the assurance of privacy in the new update despite it using users’ Apple ID as proof that they are human. The tech giant assured that the device would not send out any data, such as email addresses that is linked to the ID. In fact, Apple only provides these sites with a ‘thumbs up’ during a verification. Moreover, Apple would only be aware of the device asking for such a confirmation, and nothing about who is asking for the information.
In fact, Fastly stated other than Apple, even Google aided in the development of this tech, and such a system is in the works for the internet standards. It initiated the development of a similar system into Chrome in 2020. Though it only seems to be looking at third-party issuers instead of verifying it itself, critics think Google could be making something similar to Apple’s.