FTC chair alleges partisan filtering by Gmail; Google says spam filters not ideological
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson warned Google that partisan filtering allegations in Gmail could trigger an investigation and enforcement action under the FTC Act.
- On Thursday, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson alleged Gmail engages in partisan filtering in a letter to Sundar Pichai, saying filters block more Republican messages than Democratic ones.
- Republicans have long alleged big tech discriminates against conservatives, and the Republican National Committee sued Google in 2022; a U.S. judge dismissed the suit, and the Federal Election Commission also dismissed related complaints.
- A Google spokesperson said Gmail's spam filters apply equally to all senders regardless of political ideology, and Jenn Crider, Google spokeswoman, explained filters rely on objective signals like user spam markings; Google said it will review Ferguson's letter and engage constructively.
- The Federal Trade Commission warned that actions violating FTC obligations "could lead to an FTC investigation and potential enforcement action," Axios reported Andrew Ferguson cautioned Google against suppressing Republican emails.
- Earlier this week, Congressional Republicans announced plans to pursue bias probes at Wikipedia, while GOP lawmakers maintain long-running complaints that Gmail suppresses their fundraising and get-out-the-vote emails.
26 Articles
26 Articles
FTC chair alleges Gmail uses partisan filtering
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson warned Gmail, the world's largest email service, this week that it may face a federal investigation over allegations the company intentionally suppresses messages sent by Republicans. "My understanding from recent reporting is that Gmail's spam filters routinely block messages from reaching consumers when those messages come from Republican senders but fail to block similar messages sent by De…
Google Rebuffs FTC Complaint Regarding ‘Partisan’ Gmail Spam Filters
Google has denied the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent allegations of the tech company’s partisan administration of its Gmail service in favor of Democratic emails over Republican content. On Aug. 28, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson wrote a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai alleging that the tech giant was potentially violating an FTC rule when its Gmail service used a “partisan approach” while administering spam filters. Alphabet, Googl…
Federal Trade Commission Targets Google's 'Partisan' Email Filters
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a letter to Alphabet, Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai over Gmail’s alleged partisan use of its email filter. Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson wrote in the letter that “Gmail’s spam filters routinely block messages from reaching consumers when those messages come from Republican senders but fail to block similar messages sent by Democrats.” According to commenters on the FTC’s request for information page, “Google is usi…
FTC Vs. Google: Is Gmail's Spam Filter Rigged?
Commission issues formal letter to Alphabet CEO, citing potential violations of consumer protection laws The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating allegations that Google’s Gmail service is unfairly and deceptively filtering political emails, specifically flagging messages from Republican senders as spam while allowing similar messages from Democrats to pass through. This potential violation of the […] FTC vs. Google: Is Gmail’s Spam F…
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