Google and Meta have reportedly collaborated on a deal to create and display ads targeted at minor users. The tech giant from Mountain View was said to be working on a marketing project aimed at developing ads for its YouTube platform that would also run on Meta’s Instagram platform, specifically targeting teenagers.
Violation of Ad Policies for Minors
Both Google and Meta have previously claimed that they do not target ads to users under the age of 18, but this reported deal seems to contradict those statements. According to a report from the Financial Times, Google and Meta bypassed Google’s Ad-serving Protections for Teens policy by utilizing a target demographic labelled as “unknown” for individuals between the ages of 13 and 17.
Google allegedly had thousands of data points on the “unknown” category of users, despite claiming that these users could not be identified by age, gender, parental status, or household income. However, the report suggests that Google was able to confidently determine which users in the “unknown” category were minors based on location, app downloads, online activity, and more. The company reportedly disabled ad personalization for other age groups, focusing solely on the “unknown” group, which had a higher proportion of minors.
Google stated that it strictly prohibits ads being personalized to individuals under the age of 18 and that its policies extend beyond legal requirements, supported by technical safeguards. The company maintained that these safeguards were effective in this case but acknowledged the need for further investigation into the matter. Despite not denying the use of the “unknown” category for targeting, Google emphasized its commitment to compliance with advertising policies.
Meta responded to the report by stating that Google’s utilization of the “unknown” targeting option is available to all advertisers, implying that this practice is not exclusive to their partnership. The company’s statement suggests that they see no issue with this form of ad targeting and do not view it as a violation of their policies.
The reported collaboration between Google and Meta to target ads at minor users raises ethical concerns regarding the transparency and accountability of tech companies in their advertising practices. The use of the “unknown” category to reach younger audiences highlights the complexity of data privacy and protection policies in the digital advertising landscape. It remains to be seen how Google’s internal investigation and Meta’s response will shape the future of ad targeting policies for minors in the tech industry.
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