In an effort to make Gmail safer and reduce spam, Google has introduced some new measures.
Email validation
These revolve around verifying the identity of email senders to improve security since many bulk email senders don’t adequately protect their systems.
This makes it easy for attackers to use their platforms.
To address this, Google is highlighting email validation, which means making sure that the sender is who they claim to be.
AI-powered security
It claimed Gmail’s AI defenses prevent over 99.9% of spam, phishing, and malware, blocking almost 15 billion unwanted emails daily.
Last year it started requiring authentication for emails sent to Gmail addresses.
This helped reduce unauthenticated messages by 75%, making inboxes cleaner and blocking billions of malicious emails.
Bulk senders now have to abide by certain new requirements.
Authentication
Bulk senders have to authenticate their emails using established security practices.
This helps prevent attackers from exploiting email vulnerabilities.
Easy Unsubscription
Bulk senders must allow Gmail users to easily unsubscribe from commercial emails with just one click.
They have to process these requests within two days.
Avoiding Spam
In an industry-first initiative, Google now sets a clear spam rate threshold for senders to prevent unwanted messages from flooding Gmail inboxes, thereby reducing spam.
2024 Deadline
Starting February 2024, Gmail will impose the aforementioned requirements.
Google is offering assistance to senders to implement these changes before they become mandatory.
This will apply to senders who send 5,000 or more messages daily to Gmail accounts.
Inbox safety
Neil Kumaran, Group Product Manager, Gmail Security & Trust, said:
Consider these practices as fundamental aspects of email etiquette, with many senders already adhering to most of these guidelines. These modifications can be likened to a tune-up for the realm of email, where minor adjustments under the hood can ensure its smooth operation.
However, akin to a tune-up, this is not a one-off task. Maintaining an email system that is secure, user-friendly, and free from spam necessitates ongoing cooperation and alertness from the entire email community. We will continue to collaborate to ensure the safety of your inbox.
