Google may remove View Image button on Google Images February 12, 2018 https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/12/say-goodbye-to-the-view-image-button-on-google-images/ Getty Images and Google Announce a New Partnership February 9, 2018 http://press.gettyimages.com/getty-images-and-google-announce-a-new-partnership/
DuckDuckGo keeps the View Image link so it can do it like StartPage by just clicking on "View file" button.
why not just block spiders, or put it behind a login? that would solve the problem without google having to do anything.
Here is an extension for Google Chrome that should restore functionality (View image) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/view-image/jpcmhcelnjdmblfmjabdeclccemkghjk Edit: ... and Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/view-image/
https://www.addictivetips.com/web/restore-view-image-in-google-image/ https://www.howtogeek.com/343219/how-to-bring-back-the-view-image-button-in-google-image-search/
View Image for Google Images extension for Firefox and Chrome Februayr 18, 2018 https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/18/view-image-for-google-images-extension-for-firefox-and-chrome/