Gmail Dot Policy Causing Risky Miscommunication

Hi Google Team,

I’d like to flag an issue with Gmail’s dot-handling policy that’s leading to serious miscommunication, particularly in sectors like banking and financial services.

Gmail allows dots in usernames during account creation (e.g., john.doe@gmail.com), but treats all dot variations (johndoe@gmail.com, jo.hn.doe@gmail.com) as the same inbox. This design, while convenient, can cause: • Sensitive emails (e.g., financial statements, loan docs) to be sent to the wrong person, • Privacy breaches and potential regulatory risks, • Identity theft or fraud due to misdirected information.

Critically, Outlook addresses do not have this issue, as dots are treated as distinct — making them more reliable in high-trust environments.

Request: Please consider revising this policy or implementing warnings during account setup or email entry to help prevent these risks.

Thanks for your ongoing work on Gmail. We hope this important issue can be addressed soon.

Best wishes Kasim