Google, Meta secretly collaborated to attract teenagers to Instagram: Report
Google and Meta have been accused of secretly targeting teenagers with Instagram ads on YouTube, according to a report by the Financial Times. The alleged collaboration involved a marketing project designed by Google for Meta, specifically aimed at promoting Instagram to YouTube users aged between 13 and 17. This campaign focused on a user group labeled as "unknown" in Google's advertising system, which is believed to include many under-18s.
Alleged violation of Google's own rules
The project appears to contradict Google's own guidelines that prohibit personalizing and targeting ads to under-18s. The FT report suggests that efforts were made to conceal the true purpose of this campaign. This collaboration between Google and Meta, typically seen as fierce rivals, began in late 2021 with an aim for Google to boost its ad revenue while Meta sought to retain younger users amid rising competition from TikTok.
Pilot marketing program and expansion plans
As per the report, both companies partnered with Spark Foundry, a US subsidiary of Publicis, to initiate this pilot marketing program. The program was first launched in Canada between February and April, before being tested in the US in May. There were also plans to expand it globally and promote other Meta apps like Facebook. Despite these being small pilot programs, Google reportedly viewed them as an opportunity to cultivate a more profitable relationship with Meta involving high-profile brand ads.
Meta's ad system updates and CEO's congressional appearance
In 2021, Meta announced updates to its advertising system, including the removal of gender as a targeting option for under-18 users on Facebook and Instagram. The company claimed these changes were made to ensure that teens see ads relevant to their age and products/services of their location. Interestingly, this covert operation was already in progress when Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, appeared before the US Congress in January. During his appearance, he apologized to families of children who had been exploited.
