Google Slips Links Through Opaque Redirects

Google has started routing some search result links through opaque redirects to prevent bulk extraction of destination URLs. This change is aimed at making it harder for automated tools to collect information from Google's search results.

The redirects use a custom, Google-specific encoding that does not display the readable version of the destination URL in the url parameter. Instead, users must make an additional request for each result to view the final destination through the redirect response's Location header.

This change has raised concerns about security and usability. Users can no longer hover over a link to check where it leads before clicking on it, as hovering reveals the encoded Google redirect rather than the destination website. This could make users more vulnerable to phishing attacks or other types of online threats.