Google Image & Video Search Test Blurring Explicit Content, Instead Of Removing It

Google Image Search and Google Video Search has historically simply removed content from its search results when you ask it to filter explicit content using SafeSearch. Now it seems Google is blurring out content, like they do in social media, asking you to click to reveal the image if you want to see it.

I personally cannot replicate this, so I am assuming this is a test of sorts or maybe this is how it recently works in India.

Khushal Bherwani shared this on Twitter showing images that are blurred over with an eye that is crossed out icon. When you click on the image and it opens in the Google Image viewer, it says “this image may contain explicit content. SafeSearch blurring is on.”

Here are screenshots:

I do not see a SafeSearch setting to turn on or off blurring, do you?

Khushal Bherwani said he sees the same thing with video results on Google.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

Update: Glenn Gabe said this was announced a few months ago, but now seems to be rolling out. He now sees it:

And yep, I see that now in Google images. Nice catch by @b4k_khushal! pic.twitter.com/A5AkEyXl11

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) May 1, 2023