April 15, 2026

Google’s had enough of websites playing sticky-fingered games with your browser, announcing it will crack down on “back button hijacking” — the annoying little stunt where clicking back doesn’t actually take you back, but instead strands you on the same site or dumps you into an unsolicited ad. In a blog post, the Chrome maker said this behavior has been on the rise and, starting 15 June, it’ll count as a “malicious practice,” meaning offenders could get pushed down or even booted from Google Search. Turns out hijacking a basic browser button is bad for user dignity, bad for the “expected user journey,” and generally bad for staying on Google’s nice list.

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