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 GOOGLE BLOCKED BY CAPTCHA ON SAFARI : ICLOUD PRIVATE RELAY MAY BE TO BLAME

In recent days, many iOS users who use Safari to search Google have come across an unusual captcha warning. The message asks users to confirm that they are human by placing a checkmark on "I am not a robot." This warning states, "Our systems have detected unusual traffic coming from your computer’s network. This page verifies whether it is really you who is sending the requests and not a robot."

This type of temporary block is not new and has affected various users over the years, not just those with iOS devices. According to Google, the warning appears when it is suspected that the user’s network is generating automatic traffic. Common causes include VPN use, too many searches in a short period of time, third-party browser extensions, automated search bots or malware.

However, recently, even users who do not use VPNs, bots, or particular extensions, and who browse with both Wi-Fi and mobile data, have reported the appearance of captcha. One possible explanation could be related to iCloud private relay, a feature available to those with an iCloud+ subscription on iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, and Macs.

iCloud private relay works by masking the user’s IP address. The network provider and the first Apple-managed relay can only see the IP address, while DNS records are encrypted. The second relay, operated by a third-party content provider, decodes the website name and connects the user to the site using a temporary IP address. This process uses IPv6-address tunneling, which could be mistaken by Google’s systems for automated traffic.

On Google’s support page, it is mentioned that the use of IPv6 tunneling services could trigger captcha. The recent spate of reports may suggest that Google has made controls for automated traffic more sensitive, perhaps in response to new concerns related to data scraping by artificial intelligence services. However, there is no concrete evidence linking these events.

For now, users who wish to avoid this block may consider temporarily disabling iCloud’s private relay. Hopefully, Apple and Google will work together to resolve this situation and make the browsing experience smoother for everyone.