Gmail enables unicode recognition to block links to suspicious sites

Email can be inherently dangerous, as less savvy users can, and do, click links that can lead to nefarious locations on the web. The links are frequently a bit hidden -- characters are slightly altered, such as "0" instead of an "O".

Last week Google rolled out support for non-Latin characters, a great addition, but one that enhances this problem, as well. With that in mind, the company is attempting to protect its email customers, by now enabling recognition of bad links through Unicode checks.

"To stay one step ahead of spammers, the Unicode community has identified suspicious combinations of letters that could be misleading, and Gmail will now begin rejecting email with such combinations", says Mark Risher, in referring to his example of "Sh0pping.com" versus "ShOpping.com".

This update is available immediately and Google is calling on other email providers to offer similar solutions in an effort to protect the general public. "Together, we can help ensure that international domains continue to flourish, allowing both users and businesses to have a tête-à-tête in the language of their choosing", Risher concludes.

Image Credit: Ribah / Shutterstock