Inappropriate Ads in kids games

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Level 1

41 points

Inappropriate Ads in kids games

Why are ads for games of a sexual nature (aged 17+) allowed to be played on a child’s 4+ colouring game even though the device has all age restrictions applied!?!

Posted on Aug 7, 2019 9:12 AM

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Answer 1

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Sezlou Author

Level 1

41 points

Aug 7, 2019 12:38 PM in response to QuickPost

But it’s not the app that’s inappropriate. It’s the advertisements.

Who has responsibility for the ads? You don’t go to the cinema to watch jungle book and see a trailer for 50 shades of Grey 🤷🏼‍♀️

No one seems to accept any responsibility.

Just have to delete the app or pay for no adverts...not the point when it’s not my child that needs protecting (I can do that for myself) who’s protecting the other children where no one is paying attention as they thought it was a colour by numbers game?

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Answer 2

QuickPost

Level 10

103,335 points

Aug 7, 2019 9:17 AM in response to Sezlou

Hello,

Please refer to the following Apple Support Communities post for how to report an inappropriate application.

Apple Support Communities

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Answer 3

QuickPost

Level 10

103,335 points

Aug 7, 2019 2:12 PM in response to Sezlou

Thinking about this for a few hours it dawned on me that you could use a service like OpenDNS to act as a first line of defense from inappropriate content. As far as app responsibility is concerned ad frameworks used by developers must conform to Apple’s App Store policies which prohibit adult content. More than likely you are seeing a Google Ad and the ad wasn’t vetted properly by Google’s ad team. There isn’t much you can do about it. Purchasing a paid application which does not display ads is another good solution.

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Answer 4

Sezlou Author

Level 1

41 points

Aug 7, 2019 2:27 PM in response to QuickPost

The advert is for another game called “Chapters” it’s a role play game centred around relationships e.g advert shows a girl and boy kissing, the narration says “his girlfriend walks in” and he has to make a choice whether to stop what he’s doing or ask her to join! This is a colour by number game aged 4+ and the advert comes on every 5 minutes or when you change pictures. The only benefit to paying for the app is to stop adverts, no additional content.

My concern is for the children who’s parents don’t realise these adverts play on their kids games.

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Answer 5

QuickPost

Level 10

103,335 points

Aug 7, 2019 2:31 PM in response to Sezlou

Hello,

Since we are users like you we don’t know what Apple will do about this. As I suggest above there are some forms you can fill out to report an inappropriate application. I suggest that you fill it out as this will let Apple know there is a problem and hopefully they will address it.

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Answer 6

Aug 7, 2019 2:35 PM in response to Sezlou

Probably nothing since it’s not an Apple app and it doesn’t use any kind of Apple advertising engine (which doesn't even exist). The most I can say is pay for apps so you don’t have ads and/or wait for Apple Arcade this fall which is a subscription service to a 100 games that have no ads or in-app purchases.

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Answer 7

Sezlou Author

Level 1

41 points

Aug 7, 2019 12:32 PM in response to connorfromgrinnell

To me this is not good enough. This is not an acceptable solution and somewhere along the long there should be better safeguarding for children.

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Answer 8

Aug 7, 2019 12:21 PM in response to Sezlou

Developers generally don’t have any control over what ads appear in their apps and content filters don’t have influence over ads. I’d look for paid apps that have no ads.

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