Google to penalize sites that hijack the back button (opens in new tab)

Google is broadening its spam policies to crack down on “back button hijacking,” a deceptive practice where websites interfere with browser navigation, blocking users from returning to the page they came from. Instead, users are usually redirected to pages they have not visited or are shown unsolicited recommendations or ads. “Back button hijacking interferes with the browser’s functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration. People report feeling manipulated ...