Email spam is a nuisance and can seriously threaten your privacy and financial security. To clamp down on scammers, Google is adding stricter Gmail requirements for senders of bulk emails.
Gmail classifies anyone who sends over 5,000 messages daily as a bulk sender, including store email lists, marketing campaigns, company reward emails, or political emails. Many of these email systems are not adequately updated and secured against fraudsters, who can covertly access account holders’ contact lists. Gmail is requiring all mass emailers to verify their identities and accounts. This builds off a mandate launched last year, which decreased scam emails by 75%, shielding personal Gmail accounts from billions of spam emails.
The new measures for bulk senders will help keep people’s mailboxes from being cluttered with spam and better shield Gmail members from receiving malicious emails. Requiring mass emailers to authenticate their accounts encourages better security standards by following Gmail’s best practices guidelines.
Gmail will also make it easier to unsubscribe from unwanted messages. Commercial email accounts must include a one-click unsubscribe option in their messages. Accounts will have 48 hours to approve removal requests.
To further cut down on spam mail, Gmail is implementing an industry first by setting a “clear spam rate threshold” senders must stay under to remain in good standing with Google. The limits vary between bulk senders, so check the new rules for specifics. This rule is to help prevent people from receiving a tsunami of bulk messages consistently.
“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,” said Google. “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.”
Google is gaining traction with its new rules and has partnered with Yahoo to push for these rules to become universal.
“No matter who their email provider is, all users deserve the safest, most secure experience possible,” said Marcel Becker, senior director of product at Yahoo. “In the interconnected world of email, that takes all of us working together. Yahoo looks forward to working with Google and the rest of the email community to make these common sense, high-impact changes the new industry standard.”Gmail will require bulk senders to comply with these new rules by February next year.