Google’s email service turned 20 years old. Because it was released on April 1, many thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke at the time. All these years later, Gmail has taken over the email world and proven to be anything but a laughing matter.
To mark the occasion, Google is officially enforcing a set of previously announced security rules for its email platform. While the security rules don’t seem fun or exciting, they are designed to make using Gmail a safer and more enjoyable experience.
New bulk sending rules for Gmail from April 1 onwards
Starting yesterday (April 1), several new rules will apply to Gmail. These are real rules that you will need to follow if you want to continue using Gmail.
Basically, Google is now enforcing bulk sender rules, designed to crack down on the amount of spam sent through the email service. All bulk senders must authenticate their email using “well-established best practices.” These include domain-based message authentication, reporting and compliance, mail identified with domain keys, and sender policy framework. Google’s Neil Kumaran says this will “close loopholes exploited by attackers who threaten everyone who uses email.”
For legitimate marketers, all of this should be done as a matter of fact, so it shouldn’t change anything for them. However, for a sketchy spammer, these checks are rarely performed, meaning your emails will stop before being sent, so they will never reach your inbox (or even your spam folder).
There are ways to bypass these protections, just as there are ways to bypass most security measures, but anything that can help stop the spread of spam and malicious emails is a good thing.
Starting June 1, Google will make one-click unsubscribe mandatory for all bulk senders. This will save you time as you no longer have to click on 15 different options to remove yourself from an email list.
Other Gmail security changes
According The signal, Google is enforcing some other rules that apply to non-bulk senders. For example, the company improves email encryption when sent through different providers. With Transport Layer Security (TLS), email content will remain encrypted regardless of which email provider the recipient uses.
Two-step verification will also be the default option for Gmail. With this change, phishing attacks, unauthorized access, and spoofing attempts will be more complex.
The password alert feature and security checker tool are also part of Google’s larger push toward security and will help all Gmail users stay safe.
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