Google has done away with View Image button and Search by Image feature while viewing a specific image within Google Image Search. They announced about this change on Twitter, tweeting that they are launching some changes on Google Images to assist in connecting users with useful website. This will include removing of View Image button. The Visit button will remain to enable users to view images related to the web pages they are visiting.
The View Image button offered bots an easy way to pull images from all over the internet and utilize it for wicked purposes. As a result when users clicked on any image from a site, they cannot view the ads of the site or have the scope to engage with the content surroundingthat picture.
The Search by Image Button has also been removed. Reverse image search is still functional as majority of peopel use it via Google Images search bar. This update is likely to be in direct response to the concession which Google offered with Getty Images a few days back by enabling copyright infringement. Here is the tweet from Google:-
This move has been taken to discourage image theft and encourage searchers for visitng full pages rather than only the image.