The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a caution to Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., over claims that Gmail’s spam filters may be unfairly flagging Republican political emails. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson addressed a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, underlining that the regulator is taking the matter of alleged email suppression “seriously.”

Why has the FTC issued a warning to Google?

The FTC’s action comes after persistent complaints from Republican lawmakers, who argue that their campaign messages are disproportionately sent to spam folders. Earlier this year, several members of Congress urged the agency to review whether Gmail’s filtering system was effectively curbing political communication.

In his letter, Ferguson wrote, “I write due to recent reporting that suggests Alphabet's administration of Gmail is designed to have partisan effects, and accordingly to notify you that Alphabet may be engaging in unfair or deceptive acts or practices. I write to inform you of your obligations under the FTC Act. Any act or practice inconsistent with these obligations could lead to an FTC investigation and potential enforcement action.”

How has Google responded to the allegations?

Google has repeatedly denied any political bias in the way Gmail flags spam. Responding to the FTC’s letter, company spokesperson Jenn Crider told Axios, “Gmail's spam filters look at a variety of objective signals – like whether people mark a particular email as spam, or if a particular ad agency is sending a high volume of emails that are often marked by people as spam. This applies equally to all senders, regardless of political ideology. We will review this letter and look forward to engaging constructively.”

Have similar complaints been raised before?

Republicans have frequently accused major technology firms of limiting conservative voices, though regulatory bodies and courts have so far found little to back such claims. In 2023, the Federal Election Commission dismissed a complaint suggesting Gmail gave Democrats an advantage over Republicans, with members from both parties voting to close the case.

Later that year, a federal judge also threw out a related lawsuit. While the judge admitted it was a “close case,” the ruling concluded that the Republican National Committee had failed to demonstrate that Google acted in “bad faith.”