11:54 AM EDT, 08/08/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with Google's ( GOOG ) and Meta's responses to requests for comment in the fourth, fifth, and sixth paragraphs.)

Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google ( GOOG ) and Meta Platforms ( META ) made a secret deal to target teenagers with advertisements on YouTube ( GOOG ) and Instagram, the Financial Times reported Thursday, citing documents it saw and unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Specifically, Google ( GOOG ) worked on a marketing project for Meta designed to target 13- to 17-year-old YouTube ( GOOG ) users with ads that promoted Instagram, the report said, citing the documents and people.

The Instagram campaign was deliberately geared toward users labeled as "unknown" in its advertising system that Google ( GOOG ) knew skewed toward under-18-year-olds, the people told the FT. Moreover, steps were taken to ensure the campaign's true intent was disguised, according to the documents reportedly seen by the FT

"We prohibit ads being personalized to people under 18, period," a Google ( GOOG ) spokesperson told MT Newswires. "These policies go well beyond what is required and are supported by technical safeguards. We've confirmed that these safeguards worked properly here."

"We'll also be taking additional action to reinforce with sales representatives that they must not help advertisers or agencies run campaigns attempting to work around our policies," the Google ( GOOG ) spokesperson added.

"We've been open about marketing our apps to teens as a place for them to connect with friends, find community, and discover their interests," a Meta spokesperson told MT Newswires. "Google's ( GOOG ) 'unknown' targeting option is available to all advertisers -- not just Meta -- and we have clear principles we adhere to when it comes to how we market our apps to teens on other platforms, including not using information about their interests to target them with ads."

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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