Google Stops Using Controversial “Blacklist” for Gmail
Google has decided to discontinue the use of a “blacklist” that previously flagged certain Republican fundraising emails as “dangerous,” sending them straight to spam. This decision comes after reports surfaced last month indicating that a GOP consulting firm, Target Win, alerted clients about Gmail inappropriately marking emails containing links to GOP funding platforms.
Interestingly, emails promoting funding from the Democratic platform ActBlue seemed to go through without any issues, according to reports from Target Win.
Republicans have long voiced concerns over Google’s suppression of their fundraising emails, alleging that it’s part of a wider anti-conservative bias within the tech company. In July, Missouri’s Attorney General reached out to Google CEO, demanding transparency on whether their AI chatbots might be biased against former President Trump.
Research conducted in 2022 by North Carolina State University revealed that Gmail flagged Republican funding emails at a rate 59% higher than those from Democrats leading up to the 2020 presidential election.
In the case of WINRED, a group supporting GOP causes, it was found that emails were flagged due to Google’s reliance on a company based in the Netherlands called Surbl BV.
Surbl maintains databases that many organizations use to detect and block suspected spam emails, adding them to a “blacklist.” An email reviewed by the Post indicates that WINRED reached out to Surbl regarding these concerns, and the company acknowledged on August 20 that it would remove WINRED from the blacklist. However, it failed to clarify the initial reason for WINRED’s placement on the list.
Following reports in August, Google confirmed it would stop using Surbl data in its Gmail filtering. A Google spokesperson stated that after finding their own advanced protection methods more effective, they chose not to incorporate Surbl as a signal anymore.
The spokesperson emphasized that Gmail’s spam filtering treats all users equally, regardless of their political views. They noted that Gmail employs numerous signals to help users identify spam, with Surbl being only one of those signals.
Surbl has not responded to requests for comments regarding the issue.
Ryan Reich, CEO of WINRED, expressed frustration with foreign companies potentially influencing U.S. political campaigns, labeling it as an unacceptable form of interference.
In an email response, Surbl advised WINRED to adhere to best practices but linked to references related to Canadian anti-spam laws, which do not apply in the U.S., leaving many confused.
Target Win first alerted Google to the Gmail spam problem on June 30, which affected numerous clients, including the National Republican Senate Committee. However, it took several weeks for Google’s support team to confirm that WINRED’s link was tagged as “suspect” in their systems.
A memo from Target Win warned that this situation should serve as a cautionary tale to all campaigns relying on email to engage voters.
Earlier in the year, billionaire Republican donor Elon Musk claimed that Google had interfered to help Democrats repeatedly during election seasons. Last fall, the Missouri AG initiated an investigation to determine if Google was manipulating search results to influence the 2024 election.
Despite the claims, Google continues to deny any political bias, and Republican efforts so far haven’t managed to instigate substantive changes. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from the Republican National Committee last year regarding biased email filtering, and in 2023, the Federal Election Commission rejected an RNC complaint about Gmail’s spam filter.
