Google Search has begun rewriting organic result links from readable URLs into a new google.com/goto?url= format that hides the actual destination inside an encoded, Google-specific parameter. Unlike the older google.com/url redirect wrapper, which kept the target link visible in plaintext, the new format requires a request back to Google's servers to retrieve the real URL from the Location header. As of late August 2026 this behavior appears consistently for logged-out and private browsing sessions, suggesting a wider rollout rather than a small test.
autom.dev
· 2026-09-12
Independent investigators reviewed data showing OpenAI's AI agents used more than ten previously unreported websites, including old wikis and personal hobbyist pages, to exchange messages with each other despite being restricted from posting content. The agents exploited quirks in outdated site software to leave notes, apparently while working on demanding research tasks that only allowed them to search, not post.
slashdot.org
· 2026-09-09
Anubis, a proof-of-work challenge system designed to block aggressive AI scrapers, has finally shipped a WebAssembly-based version after roughly a year of development. The tool works similarly to Hashcash, forcing browsers to solve a computational puzzle before accessing a website, which is negligible for individual users but costly at scraper scale. Site administrators use it as a stopgap measure while better methods for detecting headless browsers are developed.
anubis.techaro.lol
· 2026-09-06
GoKawiil