To make sure that users have an easier time figuring out whether the email they have just received is from a legit source, Gmail is adding a blue checkmark to emails. This is not the first time the company has introduced a feature to combat misinformation, as back in 2021, the company added support for verified brand logos.
Gmail wants you to have an easier time trusting email with a new checkmark system coming soon to all users
At the time of writing, if you receive an email from a verified account, the brand logo shows up in the avatar slot instead of just the initial of their name. So, if I were to receive an email from LinkedIn, I would actually see the LinkedIn logo instead of an "L" where the logo should be. While the current system is already powerful, thanks to DMARC, Google has decided to make it even better.
The company is making the feature a lot more direct by adding a “checkmark icon for senders that have adopted BIMI," the purpose of this is to help users have an easier time telling whether the message they have received on Gmail is from an actual company or just an impersonating account.
Google has chosen a blue seal with a white checkmark in the middle. When you receive an email from a verified account in your Gmail inbox, you can hover over it on the web. The purpose here is simple, to prevent users from trusting emails that are sent from malicious sources. Because with this blue checkmark, users will have a lot easier time differentiating.
For those wondering, the new feature is rolling out to all Gmail and Google Workspace users starting today. This means that Google Workspace customers, legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts will receive the new update.
Honestly, this is the right way to go because, over the past couple of months, we have seen Twitter make an absolute joke out of the blue checkmark used to mean. You can now pay the platform and get the checkmark, which ends up with countless people with a verified badge who might as well go ahead and spread misinformation. Google, on the other hand, has mentioned absolutely no plans to charge users for this new feature.
You can read all about it here.
