Google, Meta bend their own rules to target teenagers with ad campaigns: Report
The panel said that both the firms collected user information without telling them clearly about it or taking their consent for analysing behavioural information. Photograph:( Reuters )
Story highlights
The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules.
The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules.
Meta and Google are being accused of conducting a covert advertising campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, in violation of Google's own policies. The ad campaign, reported by the Financial Times, has raised serious concerns about the companies' practices and their adherence to advertising regulations.
The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google collaborated to show Instagram ads to users aged 13 to 17 on YouTube, despite Google's strict policies against advertising to individuals under 18. The ads were aimed at a demographic categorised as "unknown" in Google's advertising system—a label typically used for users whose age, gender, or other demographics are not identified.
The report added that it appears that Google could leverage data from app downloads and online behaviour to accurately infer that many of these "unknown" users were, in fact, teenagers. This manoeuvre effectively dodges the restrictions Google implemented in 2021 which were designed to block ads targeting minors based on their age, gender, or interests.
The campaign was reportedly executed with the assistance of Spark Foundry, a US-based advertising agency. It initially ran in Canada and was tested in the United States in May, with plans for a global rollout. According to the report, the campaign's timing coincided with a decline in Google's ad revenue and a shift of Meta's younger user base to rival platforms like TikTok.
Once the story was out, Google said they launched an internal investigation and promptly cancelled the program.
In a statement, Google said it is committed to protecting minors.
"We prohibit ads being personalised to people under 18, period."
The company also said that it will strengthen its policies and ensure that its sales teams fully comply with these standards to prevent future violations.
Also watch | EU accuses Meta of breaking digital rules with ad-free option
In 2023, Meta introduced changes to its ad system, removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that teens only see age-appropriate ads relevant to the products and services available in their region.
The development has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which tech companies may go to preserve their influence and advertising revenue, even if it means bending their own rules.
(With inputs from agencies)
