Google and Meta, two of the biggest players in the online advertising industry, recently made headlines for a secret deal that targeted advertisements for Instagram to teenagers on YouTube. This deal raised concerns as it skirted Google’s own rules for how minors are treated online. According to documents seen by the Financial Times and sources familiar with the matter, Google worked on a marketing project for Meta that aimed to target 13- to 17-year-old YouTube users with ads promoting Instagram.
The Instagram campaign deliberately targeted a group of users labelled as „unknown“ in its advertising system, which Google knew skewed towards under-18s. This raised red flags as it went against Google’s policies that prohibit personalizing and targeting ads to under-18s, including serving ads based on demographics. The project also disregarded Google’s rules against circumventing its own guidelines, known as „proxy targeting.“
The collaboration between Google and Meta on this project came at a time when both companies were facing challenges in retaining younger users against competitors like TikTok. The effort was part of Meta’s strategy to attract more young users to Instagram, which has been losing ground to other social media platforms. The companies worked with Spark Foundry, a subsidiary of French advertising giant Publicis, to launch the pilot marketing program in Canada and later in the US.
Despite the perceived success of the pilot programs, the project has now been cancelled following an investigation initiated by Google in response to the allegations. Google stated that it prohibits ads being personalized to people under 18 and that it will reinforce with sales representatives not to help advertisers or agencies run campaigns attempting to work around its policies. Meta, on the other hand, defended its actions, stating that selecting the „unknown“ audience did not constitute personalization or circumvention of any rules.
The partnership between Google and Meta to target teenagers with Instagram ads on YouTube has sparked criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups. The US Senate recently passed a bill, the Kids Online Safety Act, which aims to place a duty of care on social media platforms to protect children from harmful online content. Critics argue that big tech companies cannot be trusted to prioritize the safety of children over profits.
This incident is not the first time Meta has faced scrutiny over its policies regarding minors. The company is currently being sued by several states for deploying manipulative practices towards young users. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to ban Meta from making money from teen audiences as part of an update to an existing privacy settlement.
Overall, the secret deal between Google and Meta to target teenagers with Instagram ads on YouTube highlights the challenges and ethical concerns surrounding online advertising, especially when it comes to minors. It underscores the need for stricter regulations and oversight to protect young users from exploitation and harmful content on social media platforms.