SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Tech giants Meta and Google are facing intense scrutiny after it was revealed they collaborated on a secretive ad campaign that targeted teenagers on YouTube with Instagram ads, violating Google’s own policies designed to protect minors online. The controversial campaign, first reported by the Financial Times, has reignited debates about the ethical responsibilities of Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies.
According to documents and sources cited by the Financial Times, Meta and Google teamed up on a project aimed at showing Instagram ads to YouTube users aged 13 to 17. The campaign specifically targeted a user group labeled “unknown” in Google’s advertising system—a category typically used for users whose demographics, such as age or gender, aren’t explicitly known. However, internal data allowed Google to infer that many of these “unknown” users were likely teenagers, effectively bypassing the company’s restrictions on advertising to minors.
The campaign was developed with the help of Spark Foundry, a U.S.-based subsidiary of French advertising giant Publicis. The initiative was first piloted in Canada between February and April of this year before being tested in the U.S. in May. Plans were in place to expand the program globally, using it to promote other Meta platforms like Facebook.
The timing of the campaign was notable, coinciding with a drop in Google’s ad revenue and a growing concern at Meta about losing younger users to competitors like TikTok. Despite the competitive tension between Meta and Google—who are typically fierce rivals in the online advertising space—this collaboration appeared to be mutually beneficial, at least until it was brought to light.
Once the campaign was exposed, Google launched an internal investigation and quickly canceled the project. “We prohibit ads being personalized to people under 18, period,” Google said in a statement to the Financial Times. The company also pledged to reinforce its policies with sales teams to prevent future attempts to sidestep these rules.
Meta, for its part, defended the campaign, arguing that the use of the “unknown” audience did not constitute personalization or a violation of Google’s policies. “Google’s ‘unknown’ targeting option is available to all advertisers—not just Meta,” a Meta spokesperson said. The company also noted that it adheres to its own stringent policies when marketing to teens on other platforms.
The fallout from this revelation comes at a time when both companies are already under significant pressure regarding their handling of young users. Meta is currently facing a lawsuit from 33 U.S. states, accusing the company of employing manipulative practices to keep teens engaged on its platforms. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to ban Meta from monetizing its teen audience, further complicating the company’s position.
In response to growing concerns, Meta made several changes to its advertising system in 2023, including removing the option to target users under 18 by gender on Facebook and Instagram. These updates were intended to ensure that ads shown to teens were age-appropriate and relevant to their interests.
