US Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has raised fresh concerns that Gmail may be routing more messages from Republican senders into spam than equivalent messages from Democrats, Reuters reported.
He sent a formal letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, warning the company that inconsistent practices could trigger an FTC probe.
In the letter released by the FTC, Ferguson cited recent reporting suggesting Gmail’s spam filters “routinely block messages from Republican senders but fail to block similar messages sent by Democrats,” and reminded Alphabet of its obligations under the FTC Act.
The chair said the agency expects a constructive response and warned that failure to comply with statutory consumer-protection norms could lead to an investigation or enforcement action.
Google Rejects Claim
Google pushed back, saying Gmail’s spam systems rely on objective signals, such as user spam reports and sender behaviour, and are applied without regard to political ideology. A company spokesperson said Google will review the FTC’s letter and engage “constructively.”
The allegation follows a string of complaints from Republican campaign committees and conservative groups that their bulk emails have been diverted to spam folders, claims tech companies have repeatedly denied.
A similar lawsuit by the Republican National Committee alleging intentional misdirection of emails was previously dismissed by a US judge, underscoring the legal and evidentiary hurdles in proving intentional political discrimination.
Why Regulators are Watching?
The FTC’s intervention turns what has largely been a political debate into a potential consumer-protection and competition issue.
Spam-classification systems affect deliverability for political campaigns, nonprofits and commerce alike; regulators say inconsistent treatment could harm consumers’ ability to receive important communications and might run afoul of obligations that protect fair dealing and truthful practices.
Key developments to monitor include Google’s formal reply to the FTC, whether the agency opens a full investigation, and any technical data Google provides showing how its filters operate. Policymakers and campaign groups will also press for transparency about spam-filtering algorithms and the datasets used to train them, issues that could influence broader discussions about platform accountability and political speech online.
