How do ESPs protect their reputation?

ESPs protect reputation through sender vetting, monitoring, enforcement, and technical controls. They can't allow bad actors to damage platform reputation that affects all customers. Protection mechanisms operate before, during, and after sending.

Before sending: account verification, initial sending limits, content review for new senders, and evaluation of list sources. ESPs reject obvious spammers and apply scrutiny to new accounts showing risk signals.

During and after: real-time monitoring of complaints and bounces, automated throttling when problems emerge, account warnings and suspensions, isolation of problematic senders to separate IPs. ESPs balance permissiveness (serving customers) against protection (preserving platform reputation).