Google is introducing a new feature for Gmail, which is designed to assist you in determining if an email sender is authentic or potentially a scammer. If you receive an email from a company that has undergone identity verification, a blue checkmark will appear next to their name in your inbox. This checkmark is the latest application of the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) technology by Google, which it began testing in Gmail in 2020. Initially, BIMI allowed enrolled brands to feature verified logos in their emails. However, the blue checkmark is a more evident signal that the sender is genuine.
When you hover over the blue check in Gmail, you’ll see a pop-up that reads “The sender of this email has verified that they own [the domain was sent from] and the logo in the profile image.” The pop-up includes a link that directs you to a page with more information.
“Strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust,” Google wrote in a blog post. “This increases confidence in email sources and gives readers an immersive experience, creating a better email ecosystem for everyone.” The feature should be live for all users by the end of the week, while Workspace admins can help set up BIMI for their company.
It’s nice to see one company bring back an element of trust to the blue check, which used to be a pretty clear indicator that the person, brand or business on the other end is the real deal. Unlike a certain other company, at least Google doesn’t seem to have weaponized blue checks as part of a culture war or used them to wring more revenue out of users while damaging its overall trustworthiness.
