GOP Cries Censorship Over Spam Filters That Work Overview The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Google of censoring Republican fundraising emails by sending many of them to Gmail’s spam folder while allegedly not doing the same for Democratic emails. The complaint centers around the GOP fundraising platform WinRed and its emails being blocked disproportionately compared to Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue. Key Points FTC Action and Allegations FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, citing a New York Post story that claimed Gmail was flagging GOP fundraiser emails as "suspicious" and diverting them to spam. The FTC warned that Alphabet's alleged partisan filtering could violate laws against unfair or deceptive practices and harm consumers. The letter also referenced a debunked 2022 study that claimed Gmail was biased against conservative emails. Media and Political Reaction The New York Post reported on a memo from consultancy Targeted Victory, highlighting continued Gmail spam filtering of GOP emails as late as mid-2025. The memo suggested Gmail’s actions unfairly benefit Democrats by suppressing WinRed links. GOP claims of Gmail bias had previously resulted in failed lawsuits and complaints. Expert Analysis on Spam Filtering Experts from Koli-Lõks OÜ, an email intelligence company, monitored spamtrap data, which are email addresses designed to catch spam. Co-founders Atro Tossavainen and Pekka Jalonen showed that WinRed’s emails hit spamtraps at nearly four times the rate of ActBlue emails in late July 2025, indicating WinRed’s email campaigns were more spammy. Raymond Dijkxhoorn, CEO of SURBL (a spam and phishing blocklist), confirmed that WinRed’s sending practices damage its domain reputation due to poor technical methods, unrelated to political content. Spam filtering decisions are based on sender behavior and email mechanics, not content or political bias. Additional Issues with WinRed WinRed has faced criticism for aggressive fundraising tactics via text messages. A 404 Media report covered a lawsuit against the Republican National Committee (RNC) for bombarding a Utah family with donation texts, despite multiple unsubscribe requests. SURBL’s data pointed to WinRed using purchased or scraped contact lists, which triggered spam filters and blocklists. Commentary from Critics Techdirt editor Mike Masnick called the FTC's letter political posturing lacking legal basis and warned it could interfere with First Amendment freedoms. Masnick noted previous research showed all email providers block both parties' emails, but Republicans focused only on Gmail to support a censorship narrative. Responses WinRed did not respond to requests for comment. Dijkxhoorn reported that when WinRed asked about SURBL listings, they rejected offered explanations, accusing blocklists of interfering with U.S. elections. Context and Background WinRed is an online fundraising platform supported by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). ActBlue is the equivalent for Democratic campaigns. Spamtraps and blocklists are standard industry tools used to detect and block unsolicited or abusive email campaigns. Summary The FTC's accusation that Gmail suppresses Republican emails more than Democrats is challenged by spam experts who say the difference is due to WinRed’s more aggressive and spam-like email practices. Spam filtering is based on sender reputation and technical compliance, not political bias. Previous studies cited by the GOP have been debunked, and messaging tactics such as ignoring unsubscribe requests add to negative sender reputations for WinRed. The ongoing controversy largely reflects political narratives rather than an unbiased technical reality of email spam