Pro-Israel Ads Appear In Games Across Europe, Including Children's Games
Several games across Europe have been targeted by pro-Israeli advertisements that suddenly appeared. This is included in a game played by children. The ads feature pictures of rocket attacks, major exploits, and messages from the Israeli Foreign Ministry saying, "WE WILL ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO HURT US WILL HAVE SEVERE PUNISHMENT."
Cases like this have been found in several European countries, including the UK, France, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. Gamers, especially children, have been shocked and disturbed by this graphic content.
One of the striking cases is that the ad appeared in the popular game "Angry Birds" created by developer Rovio. Rovio confirmed that ads with annoying content had appeared accidentally in their game and had been manually blocked. However, Rovio did not provide details about how the ad got into their game.
The digital head of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, David Sarana, confirmed that the video was an advertisement promoted by the Israeli government as part of a larger advocacy effort. Sarana also stated that officials had instructed advertisers to block the ad for people under 18.
SEE ALSO:
Although several advertising companies such as Taboola, Outbrain, Google, and X (formerly known as Twitter) have received funds from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they assert that they are not involved in broadcasting the ad in the game.
Meanwhile, Reuters found no evidence of a similar digital advertising campaign carried out by the Palestinians. Palestinian authorities and Hamas, who rule Gaza, have yet to provide a response to their advertising campaign.
The case has raised the attention of advertising authorities in several countries, including the UK, which emphasizes that ads with graphic images should be carefully directed so as not to be shown to children under the age of 18. Authorities are also investigating how these ads can appear in games.