Gmail is Getting Serious About Unwanted Bulk Email

Google announced today that it will help protect Gmail users from bulk senders by instituting new rules they will need to follow. Those who break the rules will be prevented from sending emails to Gmail.

“Gmail’s AI-powered defenses stop more than 99.9 percent of spam, phishing, and malware from reaching inboxes and block nearly 15 billion unwanted emails every day,” Google group product manager Neil Kumaran explains. “But now, nearly 20 years after Gmail launched, the threats we face are more complex and pressing than ever.”

Among those threats are bulk senders—those who send more than 5,000 messages in one day—that spam email inboxes with unwanted and malicious mail. To prevent this, Google will enable a new set of protections to help Gmail users keep their inboxes safer and spam-free.

These include:

Email validation. Bulk senders will be required to authenticate their email to close loopholes that attackers use to break into antiquated and inconsistent email systems.

Easy unsubscribe. Gmail will require that commercial emails provide a one-click unsubscribe function and that they process these requests within two days.

No more spam. Bulk senders will be held to a clear spam rate threshold to ensure Gmail users aren’t bombarded with unwanted messages. “This is an industry first, and as a result, you should see even less spam in your inbox,” Kumaran says.

These new rules will go into effect by February 2024, giving bulk email senders time to adjust to the changes and ensure that they comply. Those impacted by these rules should check out Google’s Email sender guidelines.