Texas’ legal professional common on Wednesday sued Google, alleging the corporate requested native radio DJs to report private endorsements for smartphones that they hadn’t used or been offered.
In the lawsuit filed in Montgomery County, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton stated Google engaged in false and deceptive practices in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices—Consumer Protection Act.
The lawsuit says Google employed iHeartMedia in October 2019 to have its radio personalities — together with these in markets within the Dallas and Houston areas — report ads for the Pixel 4, a Google-brand smartphone.
But on the time the ads had been recorded, the lawsuit says, the telephone wasn’t launched but and not one of the DJs had used them. The swimsuit says that although iHeartMedia “expressed to Google the violative nature of the advertisements” if the DJs had not used them, Google did not provide phone samples.
Google spokesman José Castañeda said Wednesday that they take compliance with advertising laws seriously and have policies in place to help ensure they follow regulations.
“We will review the complaint but the AG’s allegations appear to misrepresent what occurred here,” Castañeda said.
Paxton also sued Google in December 2020. In that lawsuit, Texas led a group of states alleging Google was running an illegal digital-advertising monopoly in cahoots with Facebook. Google, which is based in Mountain View, California, called the claims in that lawsuit “meritless.”
Paxton, who faces GOP challengers in his reelection bid this 12 months, is dealing with a years-old prison case and a more recent FBI investigation.
He pleaded not responsible in a state securities fraud case, which has been stalled since 2015. He has broadly denied wrongdoing within the separate prison probe launched after his then-top deputies reported him to the FBI in 2020 for alleged bribery and abuse of workplace.
#Google #Sued #Texas #Local #Radio #Advertisements #Smartphones
