What’s the impact of open tracking under Apple MPP on Gmail logic?

Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affects Gmail's logic indirectly by degrading the reliability of open rate data. When Apple Mail users have MPP enabled, their email client pre fetches images and triggers open tracking pixels regardless of whether the user actually reads the message.

Gmail uses open data as one engagement signal among many. With MPP inflating apparent open rates for Apple device users, Gmail's models receive noisier data about engagement. This does not change Gmail's filtering directly since MPP affects Apple's mail app, not Gmail's.

However, senders relying heavily on open rates to assess Gmail engagement may make poor decisions based on inflated numbers. The broader impact is that click rates, replies, and other engagement signals become more important than opens for understanding true Gmail engagement and maintaining sender reputation.