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, ...

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 ...

Have you ever tried to click “back” on a website, but instead of returning to the previous page you ended up on a wall of ads? This can happen when websites or advertising networks use JavaScript to ...

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 ...

Back-button hijacking has been around for years, and usually works by inserting new pages in the browser history or using JavaScript in the background to manipulate the redirects. Not every ...

In short: Google is classifying “back button hijacking” as spam, targeting sites that abuse the browser History API to trap users when they try to navigate away. Enforcement begins 15 June 2026, with ...

An update to Google’s spam policies includes a new “malicious practice” that could get websites demoted: “Back button hijacking,” which is when a website stops users from leaving with their browser’s ...

Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming identity moving forward. Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming identity moving forward. is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, ...