Google under scrutiny by FTC and seven states for deceptive Pixel 4 advertisements
FTC and States Sue Google and iHeartMedia for Deceptive Pixel 4 Ads
The Federal Trade Commission and seven states have filed a lawsuit against Google and iHeartMedia for allegedly running deceptive ads for the Pixel 4 smartphone. Influencers were promoting features of the phone they reportedly didn’t even own, as Google didn’t provide the devices before most of the ads were recorded.
FTC Cracks Down on Misleading Claims
The FTC is taking action to prevent Google and iHeartMedia from making misleading claims about ownership in the future. Both companies will need to prove their compliance through reports, and several states have issued judgments requiring them to pay $9.4 million in penalties. Google has stated that they take advertising laws seriously and are settling with six out of the seven states involved in the lawsuit.
