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 posted 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 in place of competitor mobile devices. If we find that other brands are preferred over Pixel, we will require that the creator sever ties with the brand.”
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Some in the creator community have said these terms make it impossible to post fair reviews, which are important for building audience trust and a creator’s reputation. Adam Matlock, a reviewer for the TechOdyssey YouTube channel, said: The Verge Matlock told X that he had been using the program for early access to Google’s technology units, but was leaving it in accordance with the new terms. Previously, creators only had to use the hashtags #teampixel or #giftfromgoogle to comply with the FTC’s disclosures, Matlock said.
Kevin Nezer, a YouTuber from the TechNinja channel, posted on X that he was quitting Team Pixel due to the new terms. 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 YouTube’s most popular tech commentator, weighed in on the X situation. Though he was never part of Team Pixel, he called the program a “slick way for Google to guarantee positive coverage.” Lifestyle influencers, for example, 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 even people who are becoming tech commentators, saw this early device seeding as… a way to get in (to Google)… that’s where the confusion comes in.”
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 post about it to earn views and social currency, 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 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 in a video announcing his departure from the Pixel team, Nezer noted that “the reason a lot of tech commentators are on the Pixel team is because, for some reason, when you’re working with Google, it’s really hard to get things done.” 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 agency hired by Google, and it’s unclear whether that agency, 1000heads, has required creators participating in the 2024 Team Pixel program to provide social media coverage for the phone.
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.
