In a major shift in its search functionality, Google has announced that users must now enable JavaScript to use its search engine. This change marks the end of an era where users could access Google Search with JavaScript disabled.
The tech giant confirmed this requirement in a statement, citing enhanced security and user experience as primary reasons for the update. "Enabling JavaScript allows us to better protect our services and users from bots and evolving forms of abuse and spam," a Google spokesperson explained.
While this change affects a relatively small percentage of users - less than 0.1% of daily searches according to Google - the impact is notable given Google's massive scale. With approximately 8.5 billion searches processed daily, millions of users who previously searched with JavaScript disabled will need to adapt.
The decision has sparked discussions about accessibility and security. Some users, particularly those relying on accessibility tools, have expressed concerns as these tools can face challenges with certain JavaScript implementations. Security experts point to potential vulnerabilities, with a recent Datadog survey revealing that about 70% of JavaScript services contain critical or high-severity vulnerabilities from third-party libraries.
Industry observers suggest the change might also impact third-party tools that track Google Search trends and traffic. Several rank-checking tools reportedly began experiencing issues coinciding with the implementation of this requirement.
For users affected by this change, Google now redirects them to a warning page when JavaScript is disabled, instructing them to enable it to continue searching. Without JavaScript, many search features, including News, Sports, Weather, and Stocks updates, may not function properly.
This move aligns Google Search with current web standards, as approximately 95% of websites use JavaScript in some form. However, it also represents what some users view as a shift from the web as a collection of hyperlinked documents to an application-based platform.