A campaign advertising Instagram to YouTube viewers targeted users labelled as “unknown” in Google’s system—a group which Google knew was weighted toward viewers under age 18, the Financial Times reported, citing documents and people familiar with the matter. The tech giants  reportedly piloted a marketing campaign in Canada between February and April this year by working with advertising firm Spark Foundry, and the program was then trialled in the U.S. in May. (Financial Times)

Talking point: Google told the FT that it maintains its ban on personalized ads targeting minors and that no registered YouTube users known to be under 18 were directly targeted. But the FT reported that the small program, which is now cancelled, used a loophole by targeting “unknown” users. Meta denied that the “unknown” group was a loophole, despite an email seen by the FT between Spark Foundry and Google identifying the “primary” demographic for their pitch as 13- to 17-year-olds. Google told the FT and The Logic it will ensure its sales team doesn’t help advertisers or agencies circumvent the rules. Google, Meta and Spark Foundry parent firm Publicis did not comment on The Logic’s questions about the reach of the Canadian campaign.