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Update: Report Exposing Bias in Email Filtering by Big Tech Mailbox Providers Triggers Legislative Bill and Industry Response

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, USA June 27, 2022 -- Net Atlantic, Inc. released a report last month which exposes heavy bias by Big Tech in the handling and filtering of political email campaigns.

The large study clearly shows how email mailbox providers Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo use sophisticated spam filtering agents (SFAs) to block and censor certain political email senders based on their political orientation and message content.  

The data shows that Gmail favors liberal political email, Yahoo favors conservative political email, and Outlook looks unfavorably upon almost all political email.

The study is the result of a comprehensive research report by four students in the Computer Science Department at North Carolina State University.

The study collected and measured 318,108 emails received over the course of five months leading up to the 2020 US elections.

“Everyone who uses these email mailbox services, and almost everyone does, needs to realize that they may not be getting all the email they’ve asked for.” Said Andrew Lutts, Founder & CEO of Net Atlantic. “Unfortunately, a select few large technology companies now have the dangerous power to influence thought, sway opinion, and shape elections as a result of their bias,” he continued.

With mid-term elections coming in the fall, the issue is now receiving national attention.

Earlier this month on June 15, 27 GOP senators introduced the Political Bias in Algorithm Sorting (BIAS) Emails Act of 2022, a bill to prohibit providers of email services from using filtering algorithms to flag emails from political campaigns that consumers have elected to receive as spam.

In response, Google recently asked the Federal Election Commission to green light a program that could keep campaign emails from ending up in spam folders, according to a filing obtained by Axios.

The Net Atlantic report is now available at their web site at:
https://www.netatlantic.com/resources/articles/Filtering-Political-Email-at-Three-Email-Mailbox-Providers-Net-Atlantic-Analysis

About Net Atlantic, Inc.
Net Atlantic is a pioneer and industry leader in the field of email marketing. Since 1995, Net Atlantic, Inc. has been assisting companies, organizations, political parties, special interest groups, and candidates create, send, deliver, and track email campaigns. These efforts help clients fuel growth, generate response, advocate positions, and drive revenue. The company helps clients achieve high levels of success in the areas of politics, advocacy, fund-raising, publishing, messaging, membership development, lead generation, and much more. The company works with their clients to help them stand out from others by establishing leadership in messaging. Learn more at: https://www.netatlantic.com.

Copyright © 2022 Net Atlantic, Inc.

Contact:
Net Atlantic, Inc.
978-219-1900
marketing@netatlantic.com