- The Republican National Committee (RNC) and consulting firm Targeted Victory have accused Google of disproportionately flagging Republican fundraising emails as spam, citing evidence that emails with links to the GOP platform WinRed are frequently sent to spam folders, while identical Democratic emails with links to ActBlue are delivered without issue.
- This pattern has been observed as recently as June and July, affecting a wide range of Republican accounts, including high-profile figures like President Donald Trump and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). The memo asserts that the difference in treatment is not coincidental.
- This is not the first time Google has faced such accusations. In 2023, the Federal Election Commission dismissed an RNC complaint about Gmail's spam algorithms being politically biased and a year earlier, a federal judge dismissed a similar lawsuit by the RNC.
- A 2022 study by North Carolina State University found that Gmail flagged 59 percent more Republican fundraising emails as spam than Democratic ones during the 2020 election. The study concluded that email services' spam filtering algorithms exhibit biases towards different political affiliations.
- The allegations could have significant implications for political campaigns that rely heavily on email to reach voters. If Gmail is suppressing Republican fundraising emails, it could affect campaign fundraising efforts, prompting calls for transparency and fairness in email filtering practices.
In recent months, concerns have intensified over potential bias in tech platforms' treatment of political content. The latest accusations against Google allege that the company's Gmail service is disproportionately flagging Republican fundraising emails as spam, raising questions about fairness and political neutrality in digital communication.
In a memo obtained by the New York Post, Republican consulting firm Targeted Victory has raised alarms about Google's email filtering practices. The memo, which was sent to clients and includes video demonstrations, claims that emails containing links to the Republican fundraising platform WinRed are frequently being sent to spam folders. In contrast, identical test emails with links to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue are delivered without issue.
The memo states that this pattern has been observed as recently as June and July, affecting a wide range of Republican accounts, including those of prominent figures like President Donald Trump and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
"The only difference between the two emails was the link," the memo asserts. "ActBlue delivered. WinRed got flagged. That is not a coincidence." (Related: Trump unveils election integrity push, targets ActBlue amid fraud and foreign influence allegations.)
This is not the first time Google has faced accusations of political bias. In 2023, the Federal Election Commission dismissed a complaint from the Republican National Committee (RNC) alleging that Gmail's spam algorithms were politically biased. A year earlier, a federal judge had also dismissed an RNC lawsuit making similar claims.
Critics, including Trump, have long accused Google of manipulating search results to disadvantage Republicans. In March, Elon Musk added to the chorus of criticism, claiming on social media that Google had interfered "to help Democrats thousands of times every election season."
Google denies wrongdoing, rejects claims of bias
Google has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, company spokesman José Castañeda said, "Email filter protections are in place to keep our users safe. They look at a variety of signals – like whether a user has previously marked an email as spam – and apply equally to all senders, regardless of political ideology."
However, research has previously identified differences in how email services filter political content. A 2022 study by North Carolina State University found that Gmail flagged 59 percent more Republican fundraising emails as spam than Democratic ones during the lead-up to the 2020 election. The researchers concluded that "the spam filtering algorithms of different email services indeed exhibit biases towards different political affiliations."
The memo's findings could fuel new allegations of political bias against Google. The implications are significant for political campaigns, which rely heavily on email to reach voters. If Gmail is indeed suppressing Republican fundraising emails, it could have a tangible impact on campaign fundraising efforts.
Targeted Victory's memo concludes with a warning: "This should alarm every campaign and committee that relies on email to connect with voters." The firm urges its clients to monitor their email deliverability closely and consider alternative communication strategies.
Visit EvilGoogle.news for more similar stories.
Watch the video below that talks about Trump ordering a probe into ActBlue over fraud claims.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.