self-hosted email

Google Enforces Authentication Barriers Self-Hosted Email Cannot Cross

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Since November 2025, Gmail has moved from filtering to rejection for email that fails authentication. The technical bar for self-hosted email has risen beyond what individual operators can sustain.

The Blue Checkmark Comes to Email – And Costs $1,500 a Year

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blue - red padlock on black computer keyboard

Gmail displays verified checkmarks next to authenticated senders who obtain certificates costing up to $1,500 per year. The requirement structure reveals how email authentication is adopting the visual language of social platforms while preserving a fundamentally different economic model.