Google to punish sites that trap people in with back button tricks
Google says it is expanding its policies to crack down on websites which trap users with "back button hijacking". The tech giant behind the Chrome browser said it had seen a "rise of this type of behaviour" which had led it to act. Google said in its post that "Back button hijacking interferes with the browser's functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration".
From June 15, the tactic will be deemed a "malicious practice", meaning sites which continue to adopt it may be down-ranked or even removed from Google Search results. Examples of practices it would clamp down on included sites using any technique which inserted "manipulative" pages into a user's browser history that stopped them from returning to the previous page. Adam Thompson, director of digital at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, told the BBC: "Practices like back button hijacking undermine the basic user experience and break the expectations people have of how the web should work, so it's understandable that Google views this as a harmful behaviour and [is] taking action."
Google advised site owners which did not want to face the new penalties to ensure they did not do "anything to interfere with a user's ability to navigate their browser history", urging them to "thoroughly review their technical implementation". It added sites which were penalised but then fixed the issue could submit a request to Google to have the demotion reconsidered.
Quick Summary
Google is planning to punish websites that use "back button hijacking" tactics. The tech giant is concerned about practices that interfere with browser functionality - and user experience.
Summary - read the full story for complete context.
Image: Joy Business
GhanaFront aggregates news from trusted sources. Click to read the original article.
Keywords
Explore related tagsMore from Joy Business
Related Stories
More from Technology
Lawyer Warns Public Prophecies Can Trigger Lawsuits in Ghana
Lawyer Kwasi Gyamfi Boadu says pastors may face lawsuits if public prophecies cause reputational harm, relationship brea
18h ago•6 min read
Communications Minister calls for unified African position ahead of WTSA 2028
Why is Ghana's Communication Minister calling for a unified African position on digital standards?
20h ago•2 min read
King Charles US Visit Set Against Diplomacy and Epstein Pressure
King Charles heads to the US for a high-stakes state visit as Buckingham Palace rules out a meeting with Epstein survivo
1d ago•7 min read
Price of diesel set to go down marginally from April 16, petrol to rise by almost 2%
Fuel prices in Ghana are expected to shift- but what does this mean for your pocket?
8h ago•4 min read
