Google is beginning to add an unsubscribe button to Gmail that will automatically appear in the header of emails that it detects might be unwanted messages from marketers. IDG News Service reports that Google announced the new feature at an event last week, and that the unsubscribe option began to roll out thereafter. Clicking the button won’t lead you through the marketers’ standard unsubscribe dialogue though, it will instead have Google send an automated email to the marketer requesting that it remove you from future mailings.
In a move sure to delight custodians of cluttered inboxes — but which may present new obstacles for marketers eager to reach untold masses — Google has introduced a new unsubscribe feature to its popular mail platform. Whereas Gmail users previously had to hunt for an unsubscribe link typically found at the bottom of promotional messages, a new button will now appear alongside the subject line of these messages — meaning that users won’t have to leave Gmail (or even open the message) in order to unsubscribe. While the repercussions for businesses may be grim, Gmail’s head of anti-abuse efforts, Vijay Eranti, told IT World that the initiative aims to make outreach more transparent, as well as to make it easier for consumers to differentiate between targeted promotions and indiscriminate spam.