Welcome to the week’s Pulse: updates affect what Google considers spam, what happens when you report it, and what agentic search looks like in practice. Here’s what matters for you and your work.

On June 15, Google will implement a new spam policy that will allow it to punish sites that interfere with your browser's back button. So-called “back button hijacking" is any behavior that interferes ...

Google will penalize sites that hijack the back button starting June 15, 2026, citing navigation abuses and user disruption. The enforcement targets back button hijacking, exit-intent overlays, ...

If you've ever tried to click the "back" button on your browser only to find yourself trapped in a loop or redirected to a sketchy spam page, relief is finally on the way. Google has announced that it ...

PCWorld reports that Google will penalize websites that hijack the browser’s back button, a manipulative practice that redirects users to unwanted pages or ads. This new spam policy violation, ...

Google is putting its foot down on "back button hijacking," an infamous deceptive practice where users are kept on a long loop of pressing the back button but are either not brought anywhere or ...

Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Tech Editor, and has been covering tech news and how-tos for nearly a decade. His team covers all things technology, including AI, smartphones, computers, game consoles, ...

The back button on your browser is supposed to be an exit ramp, but some sites are abusing a tactic to trap users on their domains and manipulate traffic, according to Google. The tactic is called ...

Tyler is a writer for CNET covering laptops and video games. He's previously covered mobile devices, home energy products and broadband. He came to CNET straight out of college, where he graduated ...

Websites that act like a super-chatty colleague who just won't shut up and let you go when a conversation should be over are among the most annoying things on the internet. Google is now doing ...

Something to look forward to: Google has announced that it will begin penalizing websites that interfere with the normal functioning of a web browser's back button. Known as back button hijacking, ...

So you thought you’d just read that webpage and then go back to the previous page? A bold assumption. All too often, clicking the back button in your browser doesn’t actually take you back. It’s ...