Google is expanding its spam policies to target back button hijacking, a deceptive practice where sites interfere with browser navigation to trap users or show unwanted pages, with enforcement starting in mid-June 2026.

Chris Nelson of Google Search Quality explains that back button hijacking disrupts the user experience, manipulates behavior, and violates Google Search Essentials.

Back button hijacking creates a mismatch between user expectations and outcomes, harming user experience and potentially raising security or privacy concerns.

Licensing notes indicate Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 for content and Apache 2.0 for code samples, with additional site policies linked.

Issues can stem from direct site implementations or be caused by third-party libraries or ad stacks, but all instances should be resolved by the deadline.

The policy will be enforced starting June 15, 2026, giving site owners time to implement changes.

Enforcement will include ongoing monitoring and penalties for non-compliant sites beginning on the enforcement date.

Remedies include removing offending scripts or techniques and restoring normal browser navigation; sites can request a review after fixes.

The policy update provides guidance on compliant implementations and reducing risk of penalties for back button manipulation.

Google has not provided additional comment at this time.

The update was published in a developer note and covered by Mashable and 9to5Google, with Lifehacker cited for history manipulation definition.

Official Google sources, including a Google Developers blog post, frame the crackdown within broader spam policy enforcement.