World sees the inclusion of pro-Israel graphics in children’s video games

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A distressing video ad by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been appearing in various video games, including those played by children, across Europe. One such incident involved Maria Julia Cassis, a barista from Brazil living in London, whose six-year-old son was exposed to the ad while playing a puzzle game on his Android phone. The graphic nature of the ad, which showed footage of Hamas fighters, frightened Israeli families, and explosions, left Cassis’ son shaken. Several other cases of the ad appearing in popular games like “Angry Birds” have been reported. Rovio, the developer of “Angry Birds,” confirmed that the ad was mistakenly included in their game and is now being manually blocked. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the ad was government-promoted but expressed uncertainty about its presence in various games. They defended the graphic nature of the ad, stating that they wanted to showcase the severity of the situation. Despite efforts to determine who placed the ad, no conclusive evidence has been found. The Palestinian Authority has not been identified as having a similar digital advertising campaign. Six cases were documented in Britain, France, Austria, Germany, and Holland where individuals or their children encountered the same or similar ads. The ads appeared in games like “Alice’s Mergeland,” “Stack,” “Solitaire: Card Game 2023,” “Balls’n Ropes,” and “Subway Surfers.” The developers of these games, including LazyDog Game, Ketchapp, nerByte, Rollic, and SYBO Games, did not respond to requests for comment. Apple and Google, the platforms hosting these games, referred queries back to the developers. Advertising regulations, particularly regarding graphic content, vary by country, with the Advertising Standards Authority monitoring campaigns in Britain.

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