iHeartMedia radio DJs told listeners how much they love using their new Google Pixel 4 to photograph animals and meteor showers. The problem is, DJs have never actually used or owned the phone.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and seven U.S. states have reached an agreement with Alphabet’s Google and iHeartMedia regarding allegations of misleading advertisements promoting the smartphone Pixel 4 from Google.
As a reminder, several complaints alleged that Google paid for radio personalities to endorse and talk about their personal experiences using the Pixel 4, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The ads were shown more than 23,000 times across 10 media markets, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Read also – Play Store: Google bans misleading and ad-riddled Android apps
Google paid influencers to promote a phone they didn’t use
iHeartMedia, the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, allegedly accepted money from Google for its stars to promote the Pixel 4. The problem is that these had never used the smartphone, which did not escape some listeners. Influencers would simply have received scripts from Google, that it was enough to read to be remunerated.
iHeartMedia would still have tried to claim smartphones from Google, according to the lawsuit filed in Alameda County. ” Our influencers really need to have devices to make the creation sound truly authentic and personal and to understand first-hand what makes Pixels different. I know we have discussed this in the past. Is there a way for us to get talent devices before the campaign? We think it’s essential a radio representative told Google.
Google eventually sent five units, but the FTC found that most influencers still didn’t own a Pixel 4 to try it out and make those radio ads. To settle the case, Google and iHeartMedia will have to pay more than $9.4 million in civil penalties, costs and feesincluding $1.58 million for New York State.
