# @kazani: Google broke reCAPTCHA for de-Googled Android users

Source: https://farcaster.xyz/kazani/0xe1b64e5c
Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/kazani-Google-broke-reCAPTCHA-for-de-Googled-Android-users?index=0x69fef585a709b02816ad275b27815a5f74ef52446a51b93c5d1a3998996381e5db1d5b84
Submitted by @kazani on 2026-05-09 UTC, 1 upvote, 0 comments

## Summary

Google's new reCAPTCHA system, announced as Google Cloud Fraud Defense, now requires version 25.41.30 or higher of Google Play Services, which blocks de-Googled Android users, such as those running custom ROMs like GrapheneOS, from completing verification. The article says iOS users face no such requirement. It characterizes the change as a strategy to control user access and data flow rather than a security measure, though it does not name who holds that view.

## Article

Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users

Google has made its new reCAPTCHA system reliant on Google Play Services, blocking de-Googled Android users from verifying their humanity. The system, announced as Google Cloud Fraud Defense, requires version 25.41.30 or higher of Play Services, which custom ROMs like GrapheneOS lack. This shift forces Android users into Google’s ecosystem for basic online access while iOS users face no such requirement. The move is seen less as a security measure and more as a strategy to control user access and data flow.

https://reclaimthenet.org/google-broke-recaptcha-for-de-googled-android-users