Back button hijacking is going away

Back button hijacking is a deceptive browser technique where sites like LinkedIn use JavaScript's `location.replace()` and `history.pushState()` to manipulate the browser history, trapping users on their platform when they try to navigate away. Google has announced a new spam policy targeting this practice, with enforcement starting June 15, 2026 — sites using these tactics face manual spam actions or automated demotions in search results.