back to article Google to block access to unofficial autocomplete API

Google has decided the autocomplete API it informally offers will no longer be available for “unauthorised” users as of August 10th. The company says its autocomplete API has found an audience among “a number of developers” who have used its ability to predict a query before a user finishes typing for uses other than Google's …

  1. PleebSmash

    Google is increasing your privacy

    autocomplete in search fields = send more data to Google or others

    1. Daggerchild Silver badge

      Re: Google is increasing your privacy

      It may be more fun than that - the results might be customised to the user. i.e. it leaks their personal preferences.

      But to take the tinfoil hat off for a sec, it would also burn a lot of CPU at Google's end since it had no limiters and people were using bodged-together code on it, and Google most certainly track resource usage.

  2. Francis Boyle Silver badge

    Please tell me

    that the developers in question were using the API to discover new and exciting* sex acts. (Or at least the latest terminology for them.)

    *For values of 'excitin'g hovering around utterly gross. All the worthwhile sex acts were probably invented by Ugg and Uggette during a particularly steamy night in the cave.

    1. Drew 11

      Re: Please tell me

      Nope.

      Porn terms are blocked from search autocomplete.

      From what I've been told.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Good.

    What a c

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a ca

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a cat

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a cata

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catas

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catast

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catastr

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catastro

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catastrop

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catastroph

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    What a catastrophe!

    Did you mean 'cat pictures'?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: Good.

      I can't upvote you enough, so have an extra thumbs up.

  4. codebeard

    there are some times when using an unsupported, unpublished API also carries the risk that the API will stop being be available

    In other words, their policy on unsupported, unpublished APIs is exactly the same as for their supported, published APIs. You're lucky if you even get 14 days notice sometimes.

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Dear Google.

    Please just delete the API. I'd prefer that my browsing experience not be like using a Terminet 1200 connected via modem to a DPS-8/47, thank you.

  7. Thaumaturge

    Absolute hatred!

    Now if I could just get it entirely off my tablet! Defeated every place I can find mention of it, yet at this moment it haunts just above my virtual keyboard.

    Hate is not a strong enough term!

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like