Have you ever taken a “are you a robot” Captcha test? If you have, you’re not alone. These tests, known as CAPTCHAs, are designed to separate humans from bots on the Internet. Some are annoying, like selecting parts of an image, while others are simpler, like clicking a button to confirm you’re not a robot. But have you ever wondered how these tests actually work? Are bots really incapable of pressing a button?
Well, the answer is no. According to a fascinating clip from the British TV panel show QI, which is currently blowing people’s minds, the test doesn’t just focus on whether you press the button or not. Bots have actually been created that can push the button, but they struggle to mimic normal human behavior leading up to that moment.
According to cyber-security firm Cloudflare, the test actually tracks the movement of your cursor as you approach the button. It also takes into account your cookies and recent browsing history to determine whether you’re a human or a robot.
“Let’s say, for example, before you tick the box, you watched a couple of cat videos, liked a tweet about Greta Thunberg, and checked your Gmail account. All of that makes the system believe that you must be a human,” explained QI host Sandi Toksvig in the video.
Essentially, when you click “I am not a robot,” you’re giving the website permission to analyze your data and make its own decision.
Usually, the test is enough to prove that you’re human. However, in some cases, the program may give you additional captchas to solve if your mouse movements are too precise or if your browsing history resembles that of a robot.
[H/T: Unilad]
