Incredible Graphic Pro-Israel Ads Seamlessly Integrate into Children’s Video Games

Oct 30 (Reuters) – Maria Julia Assis was enjoying a meal in her north London home when her 6-year-old son came running into the dining room, visibly disturbed. The puzzle game he was playing on his Android phone had been interrupted by a video showing Hamas militants, terrified Israeli families, and disturbing footage. A message from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared on the screen, warning of retaliation against those who harm Israel.

Assis, a 28-year-old barista from Brazil, was alarmed by the ad and immediately deleted the game. She shared, “He was shocked and asked, ‘What is this bloody ad doing in my game?'”

Several similar cases have been reported across Europe, including instances in which the ads appeared in the popular game “Angry Birds” by Rovio. Rovio confirmed that the ads with distressing content were mistakenly included in their game and are now being manually blocked. However, the company did not disclose which ad partners were responsible for the placement.

David Saranga, head of digital at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged that the video was released as part of a government-promoted ad campaign. He stated that the ministry had specifically instructed advertisers to block the ad for individuals under 18 years old.

Saranga defended the graphic nature of the ad campaign, emphasizing the need for the world to understand the severity of the situation in Israel. He explained, “We want the world to understand that what happened here in Israel was a massacre.”

Despite efforts to identify the advertisers responsible for the placement of the ads, Reuters’ inquiry to 43 advertising firms listed as Rovio’s “third-party data partners” did not yield conclusive results. Several companies, including Amazon, Index Exchange, and Pinterest, denied involvement. Saranga mentioned that the ministry had collaborated with ad companies like Taboola, Outbrain, Google, and X (former name: Twitter), but Taboola and Outbrain denied any involvement in the gaming ads. Google declined to comment on ad placement, and X did not respond to Reuters’ requests.

Reuters could not find evidence of a comparable digital advertising campaign by Palestinians, except for a few Arabic-language videos by Palestine TV. While the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry acknowledged efforts to shape public opinion by highlighting suffering in Gaza, it did not mention the use of advertising as a tool.

Reuters documented six cases across Europe where individuals encountered the same or similar ads as Assis’ son. The ads appeared in games such as “Alice’s Mergeland,” “Stack,” “Balls’n Ropes,” “Solitaire: Card Game 2023,” and “Subway Surfers.” Developers of these games, including LazyDog Game, Ketchapp (owned by Ubisoft), nerByte, Rollic, and SYBO Games, did not respond to inquiries about the ads.

Apple and Google, responsible for monitoring the apps on their software platforms, referred inquiries back to the developers.

Advertising regulations vary by country, but in the UK, where Assis and her son reside, the Advertising Standards Authority oversees ad campaigns. The authority stated that while it is not currently investigating Israeli government ads, publicity should generally avoid overly graphic content and should not be targeted towards individuals under 18 years old.

Reporting by Raphael Satter, Sheila Dang, and Katie Paul; Editing by Ken Li and Lisa Shumaker

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