Pro-Israel Ads: In an unusual turn of events, pro-Israel video ads featuring graphic content have unexpectedly popped up in mobile games across several European countries. These ads, which include footage of rocket attacks, fiery explosions, and masked gunmen, have been viewed by gamers, including children. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that these videos were part of a government-promoted ad campaign but expressed uncertainty about how they ended up in various games.
Rovio, the developer behind the popular “Angry Birds” game, acknowledged the issue and stated that they were manually blocking these disturbing ads. However, they did not specify which of their ad partners had provided the controversial content.
When annalist breached out to advertising firms listed as third-party data partners by Rovio, 12 of the 43 firms responded, denying involvement in the placement of these ads. This puzzling situation has raised questions about the origins of these pro-Israel ads and how they infiltrated seemingly unrelated games.
While the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed spending money on ad campaigns through various companies, including Google and X (formerly known as Twitter), neither of these tech giants provided comments regarding the placement of these ads.
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In contrast, there was no evidence of a similar Palestinian digital advertising effort, with only a few Arabic-language videos promoted by Palestine TV, an agency associated with the Palestinian Authority. Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, did not respond to inquiries about their media campaigns.
In total, six cases across Britain, France, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands where individuals reported seeing similar pro-Israel ads in various games. The appearance of these ads in games like “Alice’s Mergeland,” “Stack,” “Balls’n Ropes,” “Solitaire: Card Game 2023,” and “Subway Surfers” left many players puzzled and, in some cases, disturbed.
The involvement of children in these incidents has raised concerns about ad targeting and content regulation. Rules on advertising vary by country, but in the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority emphasizes that publicity campaigns should avoid overly graphic content and be carefully targeted away from under-18s.
This unexpected ad intrusion into mobile games serves as a reminder of the evolving and sometimes challenging landscape of digital advertising and the importance of responsible ad placement.