Influencers were paid by Google to promote a Pixel phone they never used | The FTC says Google paid radio DJs to say they loved the Pixel 4.

TL;DR

Google and iHeartMedia—the US's biggest radio station operator—are being hit with a false advertising lawsuit for ads they ran about the Pixel 4 (which we found to be overpriced and full of half-working experiments).Consumers expect radio advertisements to be truthful and transparent about products, not misleading with fake endorsements.Today’s settlement holds Google and iHeart accountable for this deceptive ad campaign and ensures compliance with state and federal law moving forward.”A Google spokesperson commented to TechCrunch, saying, "We are pleased to resolve this issue.We take compliance with advertising laws seriously and have processes in place designed to help ensure we follow relevant regulations and industry standards.”As part of the settlement, Google and iHeartMedia are barred from "misrepresenting that an endorser has owned or used, or about their experience with, certain products."The agreement is subject to a public comment period of 30 days, after which the commission will vote on whether to make the proposed consent orders final."

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