Google and iHeartMedia — the largest radio station operator in the U.S. — are accused of running ads for the Pixel 4 that were misleading and misleading to consumers . The FTC and four states sued the two companies , saying Google and iHeartMedia aired “ nearly 29,000 misleading positive reviews from radio personalities ” in 2019 and 2020. Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine says “ Google and iHeartMedia paid influencers to advertise products (Pixel 4) they never used, in a flagrant disregard for the rules of truth in advertising .” The two companies will be ordered to pay $9.4 million in penalties.
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Google’s ads featured celebrities and influencers going on air and saying how much they loved the Pixel 4, but, as the FTC press release and lawsuit state, these people hadn’t received the phones before the ads were made. So any comments they made weren’t genuine. For example, some of the positive comments included: “It’s my favorite phone camera out there, especially in low light, thanks to Night Sight Mode,” “I take studio-like photos,” “It’s also great at helping me get things done, thanks to the new voice-activated Google Assistant that can handle multiple tasks at once.”
It seems like everything would be fine (and Google wouldn’t be sued) if these ads weren’t in the first person. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey explains that people are more likely to invest in something when they hear about other people’s experiences with a particular product. “Consumers expect radio ads to be truthful and transparent about products, not misleading with false endorsements. Today’s settlement holds Google and iHeart accountable for this deceptive advertising campaign and ensures compliance with state and federal laws,” said Healey.
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A Google spokesperson told TechCrunch about the lawsuit: “We are pleased to resolve this matter. We take compliance with advertising laws seriously and have processes in place designed to ensure we follow relevant regulations and industry standards.”
News of the Google lawsuit comes at a time when federal regulators are taking a closer look at big companies . Another $400 million settlement by Google over data tracking. In addition, regulators have increased their scrutiny of antitrust practices .
See also: Google Pixel 7: Helps blind people take the perfect selfie
As for Google's fake Pixel 4 ads, most people tend to pay attention to other people's reviews when they're looking to buy a new product. These reviews can be helpful, but since there are also fake testimonials, we need to do some research market first and not just trust some influencers.
Source: arstechnica.com
