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Google and Meta have reportedly engaged in a covert collaboration to target advertisements at teenagers.
According to a report in the Financial Times (FT) the two tech giants circumvented existing rules designed to protect minors online. It states Google and Meta worked together on a marketing project that aimed to show Instagram ads to 13- to 17-year-old YouTube users.
The project, which involved an advertising agency Spark Foundry, was initially launched as a pilot in Canada between February and April this year and later trialed in the United States. In its report, FT noted that documents revealed that the campaign targeted a group labeled “unknown” in Google’s ad system, which was known to skew towards under-18s. This approach helped to bypass Google’s policies that prohibit personalizing ads for minors based on demographics.
This unusual collaboration between rivals Google and Meta was seen as a strategic move to boost Google’s advertising revenue and help Meta retain younger users amidst competition from platforms like TikTok and WeChat.
Despite the project’s perceived success, Google has canceled it and initiated an investigation following the emergence of allegations, FT reports.
However, the company acknowledged using the “unknown” category and stated it would take additional actions to prevent advertisers from circumventing its policies.
While Google has pledged to investigate the matter, critics have taken to social media to register their displeasure over the situation, with some users on X arguing that it raises serious ethical questions and could further contribute to the rising cases of mental health issues among teens.
The revelations come amid increasing scrutiny of tech companies’ practices concerning minors. In addition to the growing demand for cybersecurity for kids, the U.S. Senate on July 30 passed the Kids Online Safety Act, to impose stricter regulations on social media platforms to protect children from harmful content.
Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg have also faced multiple lawsuits and regulatory pressures over its practices towards young users, including a recent lawsuit filed by a minor accusing the company of including addictive features on Instagram.
