Gmail Spam Filter Busted: Promotional Emails and Spam Flood Inboxes As Google Confirms Technical Glitch Affecting Security Scans, Say Reports

Mountain View, January 25: Google has confirmed a significant technical glitch affecting Gmail’s filtering systems, which has led to promotional and social emails flooding users' primary inboxes. The issue, which surfaced on Saturday, January 24, has also disabled certain security scans, leaving some messages without the standard protection against spam or harmful software.

The disruption began early Saturday morning, with thousands of users reporting that Gmail’s automated tab system—which usually separates Updates, Promotions, and Social notifications—had stopped functioning correctly. Many users took to platforms like Reddit and Google forums to express frustration as their primary inboxes became cluttered with non-essential emails and suspected spam. Microsoft Hands Over BitLocker Encryption Keys to FBI To Unlock Data in Guam Fraud Investigation; Tech Giant Faces Criticism Over User Privacy.

Gmail Spam Filter Broken

According to the official Google Workspace Status Dashboard, the technical problems were first identified at approximately 5:02 AM US/Pacific time. In addition to the misclassification of emails, a large number of users reported seeing a prominent warning banner at the top of incoming messages. The alert warns: “Be careful with this message. Gmail hasn’t scanned this message for spam, unverified senders, or harmful software.”

The absence of these automated checks has raised concerns regarding cybersecurity, as the standard layer of protection that identifies phishing attempts and malware appears to be temporarily bypassed. Google has advised users to remain "extra diligent" while interacting with their emails until the filtering and scanning capabilities are fully restored.

Google Workspace Status Update

The tech giant’s engineering team is currently investigating the root cause of the breakdown. While some users reported that emails from known and trusted senders were being flagged with security warnings, others noted that actual spam was bypassing filters entirely. This inconsistency suggests a widespread failure in the algorithm that determines email priority and safety.

In a statement, Google noted that it is actively working on a resolution. For the time being, the company has encouraged users to follow standard best practices, such as avoiding links or attachments from unknown or suspicious senders. There is currently no confirmed timeline for when the classification system will return to normal operation. Gmail Users Advised to Disable 2 Features Over Google Privacy Concerns; Check Details.

This incident highlights the reliance of millions of users on Gmail’s automated sorting features to manage daily communication. For many, the breakdown of these filters has transformed an organised digital workspace into an unmanageable stream of notifications. Further updates are expected as Google continues to deploy fixes for the misclassification and security scan issues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2026 07:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).