Executive Summary

Google has introduced opaque redirects in its search results to curb abuse, but the change means users can no longer preview link destinations by hovering. The new system hides the final URL until after clicking, aiming to protect against malicious links while reducing transparency for users.

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Intelligence Metadata - Source Publisher: Malwarebytes Labs - Published Date: 2026-09-14T14:17:44+00:00 - Category: other

Original Description: Google says its new opaque redirects tackle evolving abuse, but they also prevent users from checking a result’s destination by hovering over it.

"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp."

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