You now have to enable JavaScript to use Google Search
What's the story
Google has made it mandatory for users to enable JavaScript, a widely-used programming language for making web pages interactive, to use Google Search.
The tech giant confirmed the change in an email to TechCrunch.
The main goal behind the move is to make Google Search more secure by protecting it from threats such as bots and spam.
User experience
Google aims to improve search experience
The company's representative further explained that this change is aimed at improving the overall user experience on Google Search. They noted that without JavaScript, some features of Google Search may not work as expected, possibly affecting the quality of search results.
Accessibility concerns
JavaScript's widespread use and potential challenges
JavaScript is an essential part of most popular websites, with a 2020 GitHub survey showing that 95% of sites worldwide use this language in some capacity.
However, Google's new mandate has alarmed users relying on accessibility tools.
Such tools can occasionally struggle with specific JavaScript implementations, making their online experience a little more complicated.
Security risks
Security vulnerabilities in JavaScript services
Despite being so widely used, JavaScript is not without security risks. According to Datadog's 2024 annual security survey, almost 70% of JavaScript services are vulnerable to at least one "critical" or "high-severity" vulnerability introduced by a third-party software library.
User impact
Impact of JavaScript requirement on users
According to Google, less than 0.1% of searches are conducted by people who have disabled JavaScript.
Since Google handles some 8.5 billion searches every day, this means millions of people searching through Google don't use JavaScript.
This number highlights the potential impact of the company's new policy on a large number of users across the globe.
Policy effects
Google's new policy may affect 3rd-party tools
There is speculation that one of Google's motivations behind this change could be to limit third-party tools providing insights into Google Search trends and traffic.
As Search Engine Roundtable reported, several "rank-checking" tools started facing problems with Google Search around the time the JavaScript requirement was enforced.
However, when asked about this report, the representative from Google chose not to comment.