Between 2019 and 2020, Google would have entered into a partnership with the company iHeartMedia. The latter would have made advertisements with several popular animators extolling the merits of the Pixel 4. Today the FTC is tackling this case and the two companies risk a fine of 9 million euros.
Google and iHeartMedia are accused of having distributed misleading advertisements. At the heart of these the animators assured that the Pixel 4 was their everyday smartphone. In reality they have never been in possession of the phone from Google.
A fine of 9 million dollars for Google
In all, 29,000 advertisements were broadcast on social networks, but also on television and especially on the radio. In a press release, the FTC assures that Google and iHeartMedia have entered into agreements with influencers to use certain very specific selling points. In the various advertisements, the same sentences are repeated. “It’s my favorite phone camera, especially in low light, thanks to the Night Sight mode. »
It is now clear that influencers have never had the phone in their hands. For Maura Healey, Massachusetts District Attorney “Consumers expect ads to be truthful and transparent about products, not misleading with fake endorsements. »
According to the investigation Google would have spent 2.6 million dollars to carry out these advertisements. iHeartRadio would also have been in contact with several local radio stations. They would have received nearly two million dollars to advertise the Pixel 4. Today the two companies risk 9.4 million dollars in fines.
Pixels are still in the race
Google’s Pixel 4 was released in October 2019. While the phone looked very promising on paper, sales numbers fell a bit short of expectations and the phone struggled to make a name for itself. The same year Apple released the iPhone 11 and Samsung the Galaxy S10. Two very popular models that have overshadowed Google’s phone.
Despite this commercial failure, Google continues to produce phones and the latest Pixel 7 has been hailed by critics as one of the best devices of the year. With a unique design and dazzling performance, Google’s phone has it all.
Another great advantage of this device over the iPhone 14 or the latest Galaxy S22, the price. The Pixel 7 now costs €649, which is almost half the price of the latest from Apple (€1019).
Google Pixel 7 128 GB at the best price Base price: €649
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