Google and Meta teamed up to develop a secret plan to target YouTube and Instagram ads to teenagers. According to the Financial Times, which had access to several documents and sources close to the process, Google collaborated with Meta on a marketing project aimed at reaching YouTube users aged 13 to 17 with Instagram ads.
The campaign specifically targeted a group of users designated as “unknown” in Google’s advertising system, which sources say included underage users, in clear violation of the company’s policies.
The documents also suggest that steps were taken to keep the operation secret. Google has already launched an internal investigation and cancelled the campaign.