[ad_1]
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 29 (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission and a handful of states announced Monday a settlement with Google and iHeartMedia over misleading radio ads about Google phones.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the settlements arose out of complaints that Google paid radio personalities to endorse and talk about their personal experiences with one of the company’s phones, the Pixel 4. The phone didn’t exist, and many radio DJs didn’t use it, Bonta said.
Read also | China COVID-19 protests: Citizens protesting coronavirus restrictions clash with police in Shanghai.
The ads were placed more than 23,000 times in 10 media markets, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, Bonta’s office said.
Google will pay $9 million and iHeartMedia will pay $400,000, Bonta’s office said. iHeartMedia is the largest owner of radio stations in the United States. Some smaller radio stations also ran commercials.
“Google tried to cut corners when advertising its products, and now it’s paying the price,” Bonta said in a statement. “Requiring DJs to share personal experiences with products they have not used is misleading – and a breach of state consumer protection laws.”
Radio commercials aired in late 2019 and early 2020.
The California complaint included scripts provided to broadcast personalities that included first-person language about using cellphone cameras to take pictures of football games and events such as meteor showers at night and using cellphone voice-activated systems.
“These radio personalities did not own or regularly use a Pixel 4, nor did they use the Pixel 4 to take photos at night as directed in the script,” the complaint states.
The states of Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Texas, as well as the Federal Trade Commission, participated in the settlement.
California will receive nearly $3 million in the settlement. A Bonta spokeswoman said the money will be split between the state and Alameda County, which filed the lawsuit, and used to enforce consumer protection laws.
The settlement bans Google from making misrepresentations in its endorsement of its products for 20 years. The company will also be required to periodically report to the state of California on its compliance with the settlement agreement.
Google did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, and iHeartMedia spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg declined to comment. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
[ad_2]
Source link