Why does Google offer the reCAPTCHA mechanism for free? - when you don't know what it's about...

The article from PC Gamer discusses the impact of CAPTCHA on internet users and their role in the tech industry. A study conducted in 2023 revealed that CAPTCHA, which aimed to secure websites, can be viewed as tracking cookie farms generating profits. Tens of billions of hours spent by users solving these simple tasks is becoming a growing point of frustration among internet users. The article highlights that in this process, companies like Google could earn nearly a billion dollars. While CAPTCHA has its benefits, such as anti-bot protection, the research suggests that its impact on users is greater than previously thought. Such findings shed new light on practices in the tech industry and raise questions about the ethics of using such solutions online.