Gmail is getting more tools to help battle spam email

Email spam has been around since the inception of email and things have only gotten spammier. However, Google is looking to fix that with new inbox protection measures. In a recent blog post, Google announced new requirements for folks who send bulk emails.

Starting in February 2024, anyone looking to send more than 5,000 messages to Gmail addresses in one day will be required to do a few extra things. The sender will need to authenticate the email — which Google says will close loopholes typically exploited by attackers looking to threaten email users. Authentication will include following Google's recommended best practices, like using DKIM or SPF authentication for your email domain. Bulk senders will also be required to set up a one-click unsubscribe option for recipients. Additionally, Google will begin enforcing a “clear spam threshold” to prevent Gmail recipients from being bombarded with unwanted messages. The company said its spam threshold is an "industry first" and will result in Gmail users receiving less inbox spam.

Yahoo users will also benefit from the new spam prevention measures. Google says it has enlisted Yahoo (Engadget’s parent company) to implement the same changes early next year. Over the years, Google and other tech companies have been battling spammers who send emails to scam unsuspecting users. The spammers are constantly leveling up, which means Google has to keep coming up with new ways to protect its users.

“These changes are like a tune-up for the email world, and by fixing a few things under the hood, we can keep email running smoothly,” Google product manager Neil Kumaran explained. “But just like a tune-up, this is not a one-time exercise. Keeping email more secure, user friendly and spam-free requires constant collaboration and vigilance from the entire email community.”

While these changes should have probably been implemented years ago, it's good to see big tech companies still being proactive about the safety of users. There's no denying that spam emails have gotten out of control. We've seen far too many reports of people, especially the elderly, being scammed out of thousands of dollars after responding to an email from a prince or clicking a link from a refund scammer. As to whether Google's new measures will improve the current situation, we'll just have to wait and see. It's likely we'll have to deal with spam for as long as email exists but at least these measures may keep it from hitting our main inbox.