You probably shouldn’t click that email ‘unsubscribe’ link. Here’s what to do instead

It’s tempting to click on “unsubscribe” to defend yourself from spam emails. But that can sometimes make things worse. Here’s a safer way to take control.

There are few things in the digital world as annoying as spam emails. They flood our inbox after our email address is sold by a data broker, shared with third parties from a site we’ve willingly given it to, or obtained through a data breach. It’s natural to want to get off these lists as fast as possible, but if there’s one thing you should rarely ever do with one of these spammy emails, it’s click the “unsubscribe” link found in it. Here’s why, and what to do instead.