Google Under Fire After Influencers Were Asked to Prefer Pixel Phones Over Competitors
Google said it "missed the mark" after creators were told their relationship with the brand would be terminated if it appeared they preferred other brands over the Google Pixel.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Google is facing criticism after influencers were asked to agree to prefer the new Pixel mobile devices over rival gadgets when creating content for followers, as reported earlier Friday by 9to5Google. Content creators, who took screenshots of the demand and posted them to social media on Thursday night, were warned their relationship with the brand would be terminated otherwise.
"By opting into this program, do you acknowledge that you are expected to feature the Google Pixel device in place of any competitor mobile devices?" a leaked screenshot of the message sent to influencers says. "Please note that if it appears other brands are being preferred over the Pixel, we will need to cease the relationship between the brand and the creator."
CNET wasn't asked to agree to such terms when reviewing the new Pixel devices -- and would never have agreed to them.
Google unveiled its latest Pixel lineup on Tuesday, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold. The phones all got hardware improvements, a new look, and artificial intelligence on board.
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Google said in an emailed statement that its influencer program, called TeamPixel, is separate from its reviews programs. "The goal of #TeamPixel is to get Pixel devices into the hands of content creators, not press and tech reviewers," a spokesperson said.
The statement added that Google "missed the mark" with the language in its TeamPixel form and that it's since been removed from the agreement.
