Google has introduced a new feature for Gmail users that will display a blue checkmark next to the name of verified senders. The company says this will help users avoid phishing and other malicious emails.
The checkmark is part of Gmail’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature, which allows companies to authenticate their brand logos as their email avatars. Users can hover over the checkmark to see a message that confirms the sender’s ownership of the domain and profile image.
Google says that email verification can benefit both users and security systems by making it easier to identify and stop spam, as well as enhancing the trust and reputation of legitimate senders.
The checkmark feature is similar to the verification badges used by other platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tinder and Pinterest. These badges are meant to signal the authenticity and credibility of certain accounts or profiles.
Google has recently made other changes to its products to improve user security and privacy. For example, it replaced the lock icon in Chrome’s address bar with a tuner icon, indicating that a website is using HTTPS encryption but not necessarily implying that it is trustworthy.
The verified checkmarks for Gmail are rolling out starting today for both Workspace and personal Google accounts. Users can expect to see more blue checkmarks in their inboxes soon.