EU Expands Probe into Google and Meta’s Secret Ad Campaign Targeting Minors

The European Union is escalating its investigation into Google and Meta, accusing them of secretly conducting advertising campaigns targeted specifically at minors.

Google and Meta in the Spotlight

Technology behemoths Google and Meta are again targeted by the European Commission. The Financial Times reports that the European body has requested additional information from Google on a covert advertising partnership with Meta, aimed at targeting minors with Instagram ads on YouTube.

Investigation into Advertising Partnership

While the Commission has not yet initiated a formal investigation, it continues to analyze the information it solicited last October.

This data includes internal discussions, presentations, emails, and other elements related to YouTube ads. Google gathered this evidence during an internal investigation named “Tangerine Owl.”

Controversial Ad Targeting

The FT first disclosed in August that Google employees had advised using a roundabout method to enable ad targeting of individuals under 18, a practice strongly condemned by Google, which has long prohibited minor-targeted advertising.

However, Google employees suggested that Meta target a group labeled “unknown” because internal data indicated it included a significant number of minors. Subsequently, the two companies partnered with media agency Spark Foundry to launch a pilot advertising program in Canada, which later expanded to the United States.

A Halt Following Revelations

Following this public report, the companies ceased their project to expand beyond these two countries and to include other Meta platforms. This is not the first time Google and Meta have been scrutinized for their advertising practices. In 2022, the pair faced antitrust investigations by the European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, though both cases were eventually closed.

In conclusion, it is evident that the operations of Big Tech companies continue to be closely monitored by global regulators.