Google to Penalize Sites Trapping Users with Back Button Hijacking

Google's move to classify back button hijacking as an explicit spam violation signals a zero-tolerance approach to deceptive navigation tactics that compromise user autonomy. This policy shift forces site owners to audit their third-party libraries and ad platforms to avoid search ranking demotions. Ultimately, it reinforces the browser's fundamental functionality as a protected user journey, prioritizing long-term trust over short-term engagement hacks.