Google tried to give new Pixel phones to influencers. Then it backfired.

An attempt to secure positive press for Google’s new Pixel phones has backfired after creators called the strategy unethical.

Team Pixel — an invite-only program affiliated with Google — has been sending free Google products to influencers and creators since at least 2017. Though standard in the industry, programs like these have always treaded a moral grey area, and guidelines for the 2024 Team Pixel program have crossed a line for some creators.

According to screenshots posted online, a Google form used for Team Pixel sign ups said that creators that join Team Pixel “are expected to feature the Google Pixel device in place of any competitor mobile devices.” It goes on to 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.”

Voices in the creator community have said that these terms make it impossible to post unbiased reviews, which is crucial to building viewer trust and creator reputation. Reviewer Adam Matlock of the TechOdyssey YouTube channel told The Verge that he had relied on the program for early access to tech units from Google but has since posted to X that he had quit the program as a result of the new terms. Previously, Matlock says, creators were only required to use hashtags #teampixel or #giftfromgoogle to comply with FTC disclosures.

YouTuber Kevin Nether of The Tech Ninja channel posted to X that he had also quit Team Pixel due to the new terms. He told The Verge that he had not seen that language in previous Team Pixel surveys used to recruit for the program. He also noted that demands for exclusivity were usually accompanied by discussions of payment and disclosure.

Marques Brownlee, perhaps the most popular tech reviewer on YouTube, weighed in on the situation on X. Though he has never participated in Team Pixel, he called the program a “clever way” for Google “to guarantee some positive press coverage.” Lifestyle influencers, for example, make money from product affiliation and can post about the phone without consequence. But “here’s where it gets confusing,” said Brownlee. “A lot of tech reviewers or even people budding up and starting to become tech reviewers, saw that early device seeding as… a way to get in [with Google]… and that’s what muddies the waters.”

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It is standard practice for companies to gift new products to creators and influencers in the hopes that they will use the product on camera or encourage their audience to buy it. These arrangements are usually a win-win for both parties, with the potential to significantly expand an influencer’s access to brands. In the case of Team Pixel, for example, the influencer gets a free phone and, by posting about it, can rack up views and social currency while opening the door to collaborations with other big-name brands. Meanwhile, Google secures broad media exposure for a new product for the price of a single unit.

The influencer should note when a product is a gift, but FTC disclosure guidelines are often unclear and oversight is woefully lax. As a result, consumers can’t always be sure if what they’re seeing online has been influenced by a behind-the-scenes exchange of money or access.

These influencer programs can overlap with those that target news outlets or reviewers, though Google communications manager Kayla Geier told The Verge that Team Pixel is different from programs that provide news outlets like Mashable and The Verge with new devices for review. “#TeamPixel is a distinct program, separate from our press and creator reviews programs,” said Geier. “The goal of #TeamPixel is to get Pixel devices into the hands of content creators, not press and tech reviewers. We missed the mark with this new language that appeared in the #TeamPixel form yesterday, and it has been removed.”

But in his video announcing his departure from Team Pixel, Nether noted that “A lot of tech reviewers are on Team Pixel because working with Google for some reason, it’s really tough to get through.” The Verge says it also spoke with independent reviewers and freelance tech journalists who say they were given review units through the Team Pixel program in the past. In their cases, these new terms would threaten the integrity of their work.

As reported by The Verge, the Team Pixel program is currently run by a third party agency hired by Google. It is unclear if that agency, 1000heads, required social media coverage of the phone from creators participating in the 2024 Team Pixel program.

When reached for comment, a Google spokesperson provided the same statement the company had given to The Verge, above. Mashable has reached out to 1000heads for comment and will update this story if we hear back.