Google’s attempt to secure positive coverage for its new Pixel smartphones backfired after creators criticized the strategy as unethical.
Team Pixel, an invite-only program partnered with Google, has been sending free Google products to influencers and creators since at least 2017. While standard in the industry, such programs have always walked a morally gray area, and the 2024 Team Pixel program guidelines crossed a line for some creators.
According to Screenshots Post online,The Google Form used to sign up for Team Pixel states that creators who join Team Pixel “will be expected to feature Google Pixel devices instead of competitor mobile devices. “It also states that “if we find that other brands are preferred over Pixel, we will be required to sever ties with the brand and creator.”
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The creator community has said these terms make it impossible for them to post fair reviews, which are important for building audience trust and a creator’s reputation. Tech Odyssey YouTube channel The Verge He was using the program to get early access to Google’s engineering unit, but then joined X. Terminate the program As a result of the new terms, Matlock said, previously, creators only had to use the hashtags #teampixel or #giftfromgoogle to comply with FTC disclosures.
YouTuber Kevin Nezer Tech Ninja Channel X, he too Leaving Team Pixel With the new conditions, he said The Verge He said he hadn’t seen such language in previous TeamPixel surveys used to recruit for the program, and noted that requests for exclusivity typically come with discussions about payment and disclosure.
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Marques Brownlee, perhaps the most popular tech commentator on YouTube, Weighed Brownlee spoke about the X situation. He was never part of Team Pixel, but said the program is a “clever way for Google to guarantee positive coverage.” For example, lifestyle influencers are paid through product partnerships and can post about the phone without any liability. But “this is where the confusion comes in,” Brownlee said. “A lot of tech commentators, or people who are just starting out as tech commentators, see this early device seeding as… [with Google]…And that makes things confusing.”
The tweet may have been deleted
It’s common for companies to give new products to creators and influencers in the hopes that they’ll use them on camera or encourage their audience to buy them. These arrangements are usually a win-win and can greatly expand the influencer’s access to the brand. For example, with Team Pixel, influencers get a free phone and can earn views and social currency by posting about it, opening the door to collaborations with other big-name brands. Meanwhile, Google gets widespread media exposure for its new product for the price of one.
Influencer Should The FTC will tell you if an item is a gift, but its disclosure guidelines are often unclear and its oversight is woefully lax. As a result, consumers can’t always be sure if what they see online is influenced by behind-the-scenes exchanges of money or access.
These influencer programs may overlap with programs aimed at news publishers and reviewers, but Kayla Geyer, communications manager at Google, said: The Verge Team Pixel is different from other news media programs such as: Mashable and The Verge We have new devices up for review. “#TeamPixel is a unique program separate from our press and creator review programs,” Geier said. “The goal of #TeamPixel is to get Pixel devices into the hands of content creators, not press or tech reviewers. This new language that appeared on the #TeamPixel form yesterday was off the mark and has been removed.”
But his A video announcing his retirement “A lot of our tech reviewers are on Team Pixel because they work with Google for one reason or another, and it’s really hard to get things done,” said Team Pixel’s Nezer. The Verge The company also spoke with independent reviewers and freelance tech journalists who had been given review units through the Team Pixel program in the past, and who said these new terms would threaten the integrity of their work.
Reports say The Verge, The Team Pixel program is currently run by a third-party company hired by Google. 1000 Headwhich mandated social media coverage of the smartphone by creators participating in the 2024 Team Pixel program.
Asked for comment, a Google spokesperson provided the same statement the company gave to The Verge above. Mashable has reached out to 1000heads for comment and will update this article if they respond.
