Google and Meta have struck a secret deal to target Instagram ads on YouTube’s platform to teen users, bypassing the search firm’s rules on how minors are treated online.
According to data from Financial TimesGoogle worked on a marketing project for Meta designed to target YouTube (Alphabet/Google platform) users aged 13 to 17 with ads that promoted Instagram (Meta platform).
The Instagram campaign deliberately targeted a group of users marked as “unknown” in its advertising system, which Google knew was skewed towards under-18s, the publication’s sources said. Meanwhile, documents cited by the FT suggest steps were taken to ensure the true intent of the campaign was concealed.
The project ignored Google’s rules that prohibit personalization and targeting of ads to people under 18. It also has policies in place against circumventing its own guidelines or “targeting through third parties.”
The project ignored Google’s rules prohibiting personalization and targeting of ads to under-18s
Misleading the authorities
YouTube’s Meta Platforms campaign to attract younger users to Instagram was underway as Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the US Congress in January, apologizing to the families of children who had been sexually exploited and abused on the platforms. of.
The usually competitive Silicon Valley giants began the effort in late 2023, as Google tried to boost its advertising revenue and Meta tried to retain the attention of young people against fast-growing rivals such as TikTok.
The companies partnered with Spark Foundry, the US subsidiary of French advertising giant Publicis, to launch the marketing pilot program in Canada between February and April of this year, according to the Financial Times.
Deemed a success, it was then tested in the US in May. The companies had planned to expand it further, in international markets.
While the pilots were small, Google saw them as an opportunity for a more lucrative relationship with Meta.
After being contacted by the FT, Google launched an investigation into the allegations, and the project has now been cancelled, the report said.
Google said: “We prohibit the personalization of ads to people under the age of 18, absolutely. These policies go far beyond what is required and are backed by technical safeguards. We have confirmed that these safeguards worked properly.”
Aiming… through the window
However, Google did not deny using the “unknown” loophole, but said it disagreed that the choice of term constituted personalization or circumvention of rules.
Last week, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose a duty of care on social media platforms to protect children from harmful online content.
“We can’t trust the big tech companies to protect our children,” Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn told the FT. “Once again they have been caught taking advantage of our children and these Silicon Valley executives have proven that they will always put profit over our children.”
Meta has long faced scrutiny for its policies on minors. It is being sued by 33 states that accuse it of “manipulative” practices on young users, which it denies. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to ban Meta from making money from a teenage audience.
In 2021, it scrapped plans to launch a children’s version of Instagram after Meta research was leaked suggesting the app is harmful to the mental health of teenage girls.
How an unholy partnership developed
The Meta-Google partnership began in early 2023 when Spark Foundry, acting on behalf of Meta’s marketing data team, asked various partners to present a “Meta IG Connects” advertising campaign, with the aim of getting more young customers to download the Instagram.
Spark asked Google to promote the campaign, specifically identifying the “key” demographic to be targeted as “13 to 17” year olds and requiring measurement with data collected directly from users.
In 2021, Google introduced tougher protections for teens on its sites. However, staff suggested an unspecified demographic group called “unknown” as a solution to circumvent the policy.
On its website, Google says the “unknown” group “refers to people whose age, gender, parental status, or family income we have not determined.” However, the team’s staff had data on everything. Removing other age groups left the “unknown” group containing a high percentage of minors and children bypassing safeguards.
Need for regulation and supervision
During the pitching process, Spark in late 2023 asked Google to provide Meta with “platform-specific data and insights into teen behavior,” it said.
As part of its presentation, Google also boasted its “truly impressive” usage by 13- to 17-year-olds, easily surpassing daily engagement on TikTok and Instagram.
Google took the mandate from Spark, and teams on both sides took precautions, expressly forbidding any direct reference to the age range.
The Center for Digital Democracy’s Chester said of the connection between Meta and Google: “It shows you how both companies remain untrustworthy, two-faced, powerful platforms that require strict regulation and oversight.”
Source: ot.gr
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