Google has removed the “view image” button from its image platform after a week of a multi-role global licensing partnership with Getty Images. The new options which will be visible next to images are visit, save and share. As earlier, clicking on the “view image” would have led the user to open the image and also to visiting the website through a separate button. But now, the user after clicking the image or visit button will be directed to the website where the image appears. This addition would protect the copyright information related to the image. Moreover, Google has also eliminated the “Search by Image” feature.
The changes were declared to the public through tweets from Google’s public liaison of search account. The tweet said “Today we are launching some changes on Google’s Images to help connect websites and users. This will include the removal of the View Image button. Only the visit button remains by which users will be able to see images in the context of the web pages they’re on.” The stock and news photo service accused to the European Commission in 2016 that Google’s image search made it too easy for people to find and use images from Getty without proper acknowledgement.
The tweet caused a few outrages against Google as everyone didn't seem to be okay and agree with the tweet. Many are venting their anger through Twitter itself. In a tweet, a girl said that as now Google has removed the view image option, gathering reference would be a big pain than ever. She also said that it would be far better to use the Bing now. One guy tweeted that Google has gotten rid of the only thing he used. Another wrote “Dear Google, please give us back View Image on Image results. Some websites are littered in ads or other stuff, we’d rather avoid them. Sincerely, everyone.”
For some the removal of “view image” means that the removal of something important which most users used as a feature and a tool in their daily work. From the point of Getty, they are very relieved. The CEO of Getty Images Dawn Airey said that the agreement between Google and Getty Images has set a big stage for future productive and cooperative relationship between the two companies. This change would be a good news for photographers and many other copyright holders. But the majority of the users do not seem to be very pleased with it. The Verge wrote “ While it's good to see Google protecting photographers and driving traffic to websites, it's still hard not to be annoyed with the little changes.” It will be a hard times for users who are so used to the old feature of “view image” and it would be good to see what Google does to make its users happy again.
