A new spam policy for "back button hijacking"

Google just declared war on those infuriating “back button traps,” making the practice a spam violation with penalties hitting search rankings starting June 15, 2026 — and the internet has Thoughts. The crowd’s loudest reaction? Relief mixed with rage that it took this long. As CableNinja put it, it’s “frustrating it took this long,” while others are already naming names: one commenter singled out Microsoft as a repeat offender. Meanwhile, the phrase “iron law of web encrapification” became today’s rallying meme, capturing the vibe that if it can be abused, it will be.

In plain terms, back button hijacking is when you hit “back” and the site traps you, reroutes you somewhere weird, or inserts fake history to keep you stuck. Google says that’s a malicious practice and sites doing it could face manual spam actions or automated demotions. They’re giving webmasters two months to strip out shady scripts, including stuff tucked inside ad tech and libraries, then beg forgiveness via reconsideration requests in Search Console. Official announcement.

But the comments didn’t stop at back buttons. The top chorus: can we nuke the cookie pop‑ups, surveys, and full‑screen ads too? One user said it’s like “swatting flies” just to read. Developers chimed in with nerves, asking if legit tools like history “pushState” are now radioactive. Verdict: applause, side‑eye, and a lot of “do more, and do it faster.”