Google's Gmail Faces Scrutiny As FTC Alleges Republican Emails Are Sent To Spam More Often Than Democrats' Messages
The FTC has raised concerns about Gmail's spam filtering practices, alleging partisan bias against Republican emails. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson warned Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai that inconsistent filtering could lead to an investigation. Google denied the allegations, stating that spam detection is based on objective signals, not political affiliation. This scrutiny follows a history of accusations against tech firms favoring Democrats. Alphabet's shares rose 2% amid the controversy, with GOOGL maintaining a strong upward trend in stock performance.
The Federal Trade Commission has raised concerns over Gmail's email filtering practices. The federal watchdog warned Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL ‘s subsidiary, Google, that allegations of partisan bias in its spam filters could trigger an investigation and potential enforcement action.
FTC Chair Warns Google Over Alleged Partisan Bias
On Thursday, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, alleging that Gmail's spam filters routinely block messages from Republican senders but fail to block similar messages sent by Democrats.
The letter, made public by the regulator, said that if Gmail's filtering is inconsistent with FTC guidelines, the company could face further scrutiny.
“If Gmail's filters keep Americans from receiving speech they expect, or donating as they see fit, the filters may harm American consumers and may violate the FTC Act's prohibition of unfair or deceptive trade practices,” the letter stated.
Google Denies Political Discrimination
A Google spokesperson rejected the allegations, saying Gmail's spam detection relies on "objective signals" such as user behavior and sending patterns, not political affiliation, reported Reuters.
The spokesperson added that Google will review the letter and engage "constructively."
Google did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.
History Of Political Bias Allegations
Republican lawmakers and party organizations have long accused Google and other tech firms of favoring Democrats in search results, advertising and content moderation.
Last year, a U.S. judge dismissed a lawsuit from the Republican National Committee that accused Google of intentionally sending GOP fundraising emails to spam folders.
The renewed scrutiny comes as tech companies seek to improve relations with the Donald Trump administration following the 2024 election cycle.
In January, Google donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, joining other tech leaders, including Apple Inc. AAPL CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who made similar personal contributions.
Trump's Criticism Of Google's Search Results
In 2024, Trump also repeatedly accused Google of bias, saying that search results highlight negative stories about him while promoting positive ones about rivals, who at the time of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
He had also suggested regulators should ensure fairness in tech platforms rather than break them up, calling Google "a power" but also praising its achievements.
At the time, his statement was in response to a question about the Justice Department's plan to break up Google.
Price Action: On Thursday, Alphabet Inc.’s Class A shares gained 2.01%, while Class C shares advanced 2%, per Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that GOOGL continues to maintain strong upward trajectory across short, medium and long-term trends. Additional performance details are available here.
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Gmail | Photo courtesy: Koshiro K / Shutterstock.com
