Gmail is now officially allowed to spam-proof politicians’ emails - The Verge

Google’s plan would allow for candidates, political party committees, and leadership political action committees to apply for the program that would make their messages exempt from Gmail’s spam detection systems.

On Thursday, the Federal Election Commission approved a new proposal from Google to keep campaign emails from being marked as spam.

Google’s plan, first reported by Axios in June, would allow for candidates, political party committees, and leadership political action committees to apply for the program that would make their messages exempt from Gmail’s spam detection systems. While Google did not need the FEC to approve the plan before rolling it out, it sought a vote earlier this summer to ensure the program wasn’t at risk of breaking current election regulations. In its Thursday ruling, the FEC confirmed that Google’s plan was legal.

“I have a hard time getting around the fact that this is a unique benefit offered to political committees, and only political committees,” commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub said during the FEC’s Thursday open meeting. Because of the program’s exclusivity, Weintraub likened it to Google offering its own “in-kind” contribution to political groups.

Google announced its political filtering plans shortly after a recent study found that the company was disproportionately flagging Republican fundraising emails as spam when compared to those of Democratic lawmakers and candidates. The study enraged the GOP and inspired a flurry of critical statements and an invitation for Kent Walker, Google’s chief legal officer, to explain the company’s filtering decisions in a private meeting on Capitol Hill.

“Our goal during this pilot program is to assess alternative ways of addressing concerns from bulk senders, while giving users clear controls over their inboxes to minimize unwanted email,” José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson, said in a statement to The Verge on Thursday. “We will continue to monitor feedback as the pilot rolls out to ensure it is meeting its goals.”

https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/11/23301554/google-gmail-spam-filters-republicans-gop-trump

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