Google will penalize websites for back button hijacking starting June 15, classifying it as a malicious practice

Google announced it will begin enforcing its malicious practices policy against back button hijacking starting June 15, 2026, meaning sites that manipulate browser history to insert phantom pages when users click the back button could face automated or manual anti-spam actions that result in lower search rankings. Back button hijacking is a common tactic on traffic-dependent sites that insert additional content suggestions or pop-ups between the user and wherever they were trying to go back to, and Google says it creates a deceptive user experience that discourages users from visiting unfamiliar pages. Google is giving sites two months to eliminate the practice, noting that in some cases the hijacking is a byproduct of third-party libraries or advertising stacks rather than intentional design.