Google slapped with lawsuit, $9.6 mn fine for deceptive endorsement of Pixel 4 by radio influencers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several US states have slapped Google and radio station firm iHeartMedia with a lawsuit and a fine of $9.6 million for “deceptive endorsement” of the Pixel 4 smartphone by radio personalities in the US. The FTC claims that Google hired iHeartMedia and 11 other radio networks in 2019 to get radio anchors to endorse Pixel 4 smartphones on air. 

Radio anchors were given scripted lines such as “it’s my favorite phone camera out there, especially in low light, thanks to night sight mode” and “I’ve been taking studio-like photos of everything,” said FTC. During the investigation, FTC found that the radio anchors were not given the Pixel 4s smartphone to use before they promoted it on air. 

The US agency said that between 2029 and 2020, close to 29,000 deceptive endorsements over Pixel 4 smartphones were made by radio personalities in violation of the FTC Act. 

“Google and iHeartMedia paid influencers to promote products they never used, showing a blatant disrespect for truth-in-advertising rules,” Samuel Levine, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.  

Further, the agency said that its proposed order settling the charges will prohibit both Google and iHeartMedia from misrepresenting an endorser's experience with their products. It also requires them to distribute the order, file compliance reports with the agency, and maintain records to ensure compliance.

“Today’s settlement holds Google and iHeart accountable for this deceptive ad campaign and ensures compliance with state and federal law moving forward,” Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts, said in a statement. 

The lawsuit is part of a larger crackdown by regulators in several countries on fake endorsements and product reviews. Last week, the government of India announced new guidelines to curb fake reviews on e-commerce platforms.