FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson Accuses Google’s Gmail of Partisan Email Filtering Bias: Possible Investigation Ahead

The chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), appointed during the Trump administration, has raised concerns about potential partisan bias in Google’s management of Gmail. In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Andrew Ferguson cited reports in the New York Post regarding complaints from Targeted Victory, a firm that has collaborated with the Republican National Committee and Elon Musk’s X, alleging that Gmail marks emails linking to the Republican fundraising platform WinRed as spam, while similar Democratic-linked emails are not.

Ferguson stated that it appears Gmail’s spam filters disproportionately block messages from Republican senders, potentially violating the FTC Act’s ban on unfair or deceptive trade practices. He warned Alphabet of potential FTC investigation and enforcement action if this practice continues, harming American consumers.

Google responded through Axios, stating that Gmail’s spam filters analyze various objective signals, such as user reports of spam and high-volume email campaigns from specific advertisers. They claimed to apply these standards equally to all senders, regardless of political ideology. The spokesperson added that they will review the letter and look forward to constructive engagement.

Historically, accusations of censorship or unfair treatment towards conservatives have been levied against digital platforms, including Gmail. In 2023, the Federal Election Commission dismissed a Republican complaint regarding Gmail’s spam filters, and a federal court also dismissed an RNC lawsuit with similar claims (the RNC is reportedly reviving this lawsuit). Recently, a federal judge halted the FTC’s investigation into the left-leaning group Media Matters over its research into antisemitic content on X, describing the investigation as “retaliatory.”