Google is forcing websites to stop doing one of the most irritating hacks that impacts user experience

Chances are you’ve encountered this hack that Google is now forcing websites to stop doing.

According to a Digiday report, Google now considers the tactic harmful to users because it interferes with basic browser navigation and creates a misleading experience.

Digiday also quoted one publishing executive who admitted the feature was ‘definitely a gray area’.

Google is targeting websites using this feature

‘Back button hijacking’ is a tech tactic that’s frustrated internet users for years.

The trick works by manipulating a browser’s history so that when somebody clicks the back button, the site intercepts the action and sends them somewhere else instead.

Google has made a lot of privacy moves lately, and is now preparing to penalize websites that continue using the tactic, with the company reportedly viewing it as a manipulative practice that damages trust between websites and visitors.

Some people are defending the irritating hack

The Digiday article explained that some publishers and ad tech companies leaned on the feature because it boosted engagement numbers and kept users on sites longer.

Certain recommendation platforms even allowed publishers to switch the feature on or off depending on how aggressively they wanted to monetize traffic.

Lots of people think that the practice crosses a line because it removes control from users simply trying to browse the web normally.

One source quoted in the report admitted the feature was ‘annoying as hell’, even while acknowledging why some companies still used it.

Google’s crackdown signals a much bigger push toward rewarding websites that prioritize cleaner and less manipulative user experiences online.

For everyday internet users, though, the change probably means one simple thing: the back button might finally start behaving.