Despite these concerns, Google says the vast majority of its users will not be impacted by the change. The company revealed that less than 0.1% of searches are conducted by users with JavaScript disabled. However, given Google’s scale of 8.5 billion daily searches, this still represents millions of users.
California – Google has announced a new policy requiring users to enable JavaScript in order to access its search engine. The change, according to a company spokesperson, is aimed at enhancing security, combating malicious activity such as bots and spam, and improving the overall search experience.
In a statement to TechCrunch, the spokesperson emphasized that key Google Search features rely on JavaScript to function properly. “Enabling JavaScript allows us to better protect our services and users from bots and evolving forms of abuse and spam,” the spokesperson said, adding that disabling JavaScript can degrade the quality of search results.
JavaScript, a widely-used programming language that enables interactivity on websites, is already ubiquitous. According to a 2020 GitHub survey, 95% of websites utilize JavaScript in some form. However, critics on social media have raised concerns that Google’s new requirement could complicate the browsing experience for users relying on certain accessibility tools, which may have difficulty with JavaScript-based implementations.
The decision also comes amid ongoing scrutiny of JavaScript’s vulnerabilities. A 2024 security report by Datadog found that 70% of JavaScript services are susceptible to at least one “critical” or “high-severity” vulnerability stemming from third-party libraries.
Despite these concerns, the company says the vast majority of its users will not be impacted by the change. The company revealed that less than 0.1% of searches are conducted by users with JavaScript disabled. However, given Google’s scale of 8.5 billion daily searches, this still represents millions of users.
Another possible motivation for the shift could be Google’s efforts to limit third-party tools that monitor search trends and traffic. According to Search Engine Roundtable, tools used to track website rankings in Google Search began experiencing issues around the time the JavaScript requirement was implemented. Google declined to comment on this specific claim.
While the search engine company defends the move as a necessary step to enhance user security and improve search quality, it has sparked debate about accessibility and the broader implications for the web. Critics point out that some assistive technologies struggle with JavaScript-heavy websites, potentially creating barriers for users with disabilities.
Join our Channel...