Overview
- Google expanded its spam policies Monday, designating “back‑button hijacking” as a malicious practice with enforcement beginning June 15, 2026.
- The practice involves scripts that stop the back button from returning to the prior page or that insert new pages and unsolicited ads into a user’s history.
- Noncompliant pages risk manual spam actions or automated demotions that reduce visibility in Google Search results.
- Site owners are told to audit third‑party libraries and ad platforms and to remove or disable any offending code before the June deadline.
- Google has not said whether enforcement will arrive as a specific spam update or through ongoing automated systems and manual review.