It’s becoming clear that the privacy of young Internet users is increasingly under threat, a secret campaign orchestrated by Meta and Google raises crucial questions. Bypassing internal rules, these giants targeted teenagers aged 13 to 17 with ads on Instagram, exploiting sensitive data from YouTube.
How did these practices come about? What are the safety implications for young users? Go behind the scenes of this controversial strategy and discover how companies are reacting to this growing scandal. An investigation that could well change the face of online advertising!
Secret campaign: an unexpected alliance between Google and Meta
Meta and Google have discreetly collaborated to target young YouTube users, aged 13 to 17, with ads on Instagram. The campaign, orchestrated by agency Spark Foundry, began in Canada before expanding to the U.S. and potentially elsewhere.
Using an “unknown” demographic, Google circumvented its own rules against targeting minors. This strategy has raised ethical concerns, as it violates Google’s internal policies, highlighting the challenges of protecting young people online.
Bypass strategies and implications
To circumvent its own rules, Google exploited a demographic group classified as “unknown”, grouping together users whose age, gender or parental status were not identified. By analyzing application downloads and online activities, Google was able to target teenagers indirectly, despite its internal policies.
This approach was shared with Meta, who saw an opportunity to reach a younger audience on Instagram. The collaboration between the two giants has raised ethical concerns, highlighting the need for strict regulation to protect young users online.
Corporate reactions and ethical concerns
The campaign has raised serious concerns about the security and privacy of young people on digital platforms. Google, without explicitly denying the use of the flaw, expressed its intention to remind its teams not to help advertisers circumvent internal policies. This reaction highlights a lack of vigilance in respecting established rules.
For its part, Meta has yet to make a specific statement, which raises questions about its responsibility in this matter. The lack of clear communication from both companies reinforces the ethical concerns surrounding their advertising practices.
