Ask Al: What is Backscatter? 2026 Version

I’ve written about backscatter before. (And so has USA Today.) And I’ll probably write about it again. Backscatter, at a high level, is deceptively simple.Somebody forges your domain.Somebody sends a bunch of junk email.A lot of that junk email gets rejected. Spam filters, unknown users, etc.The bounces go to you.It sucks.The end.But there’s more to it, and it’s been a while since I talked about it. So let’s look for the answers to these questions, through a 2026 lens: Why are you getting bounces for mail you didn’t send, what’s the current state-of-the-state when it comes to backscatter and how to prevent it, and I even touch on how DKIM2 might help prevent backscatter in the future. That’s what I cover in my latest “Ask Al” video for Valimail, which you can find, embedded above.

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town