Google has found the solution to limit Gmail spam

The Mountain View giant recently strengthened its security measures to combat spam and phishing attacks on its flagship product, Gmail.

Google is tightening the screw. Starting in April 2024, Gmail, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, will require senders who send 5,000 or more messages per day to Gmail accounts to comply with a specific framework.

These measures include automatically blocking mass emails from senders who do not meet stricter anti-spam criteria and who have not authenticated their messages in accordance with the new guidelines.

These changes, announced in October 2023, were put in place to strengthen defense against spam and phishing attacks. And beware of recalcitrants, Google warns on its site: “ Bulk senders that do not meet our sender requirements will start receiving temporary errors with error codes on a small portion of messages that do not meet the requirements. »

3 strict rules put in place by Google

Google now requires those who want to send more than 5,000 messages per day to Gmail accounts to set up SPF/DKIM and DMARC email authentication for their domains. These authentication protocols help verify that emails come from a legitimate source, not a malicious sender.

In addition to authentication, Google’s guidelines specify that bulk email senders should avoid unsolicited mailings, provide an easy way to unsubscribe, and respond to unsubscribe requests within two days of receipt. These measures aim to give users more control over the emails they receive and reduce the number of spam emails.

Google also asks senders to keep spam rates below 0.3% and not impersonate Gmail in “From” headers. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in delivery issues, such as emails being rejected or automatically filed in recipients’ spam folders.

A progressive schedule to support shippers in changing the rules

To help senders comply with these new requirements, Google said they will begin receiving temporary errors with error codes for a small portion of non-compliant messages. This will allow them to identify emails that violate Google’s guidelines and fix them.

Starting in April 2024, Google will begin gradually rejecting non-compliant traffic. Shippers are encouraged to use this transition period to comply with the new requirements. These measures will be fully implemented from June, with an accelerated timetable for domains used for sending mass emails from 1^er January 2024.

Google highlighted that its AI-powered defenses effectively block nearly 15 billion unwanted emails per day, protecting users from spam, phishing and malware.

Neil Kumaran, Product Manager at Gmail Security & Trust, said: “ You shouldn’t have to worry about email security standards, but you should be able to trust the source of an email. These measures aim to close the loopholes exploited by attackers who threaten all email users. »

These common-sense words underline Google’s commitment to protecting its users and maintaining trust in its messaging service.

Sources: Bleeping Computer, Google