After shutting down several third-party trackers, Niantic Labs is introducing the new captcha feature that will further prevent "Pokemon Go" players from cheating. The "Pokemon Go" creator previously banned identified cheaters. Now, they are using the new captcha feature to authenticate trainers, making sure that no bots take over "Pokemon Go."
Pokemon Go Hub revealed that one change log note in the new "Pokemon Go" update stated "minor bot fixes." The new captcha feature particularly targets bot creators, so those who employ in-game bots will see a captcha screen when possible abuse is detected. The decompiled source code presented references of the new mechanism, namely CaptchaService, CheckChallengeProto and CaptchaGuiController.
Generally, capcha mechanism is frequently deployed to stop bot attacks and spam. Apparently, the feature is useful in Niantic's goal of eliminating existing hacks and cheats in "Pokemon Go" that violate its terms of service. The growing popularity of "Pokemon Go" has prompted Niantic to take an active stance in guaranteeing fairness among all players.
The captcha feature was found in the recent update of "Pokemon Go." It is expected to stop players from using third-party trackers and bots that violate the game maker's terms of services. The new captcha feature has not officially been launched by Niantic yet, but developers found references to it while trying to get more information from the app code.
When the feature becomes available in "Pokemon Go," a number of existing hacks will stop working. Third-party tool creators already warned users to enjoy the app before Niantic shuts it down.
BGR reported that it is uncertain whether mapping trackers on "Pokemon Go" will also be affected by, because the manner of deploying the feature will matter. The maps may remain unaffected if Niantic only use the feature for players attempting to catch Pokemon or stayng at Pokestops.
If Niantic decides to deploy the captcha for any suspicious behavior, existing map hacks may also be compromised. Furthermore, cheats that let players travel anywhere on the virtual map without leaving their home will not be affected. More updates and details on the "Pokemon Go" captcha feature are expected soon.
