Why are some innocent games rated 17+ on the App Store?

The developer wants to be able to include content or ads that contains one or more of these instances. They certainly don't need to do that if they do not want to and can choose to use a different age rating. They simply make more money when they can use these type of ads.

Apps with this rating may contain instances of the following content that may not be suitable for children under the age of 17:

• Unrestricted web access, such as with an embedded browser
• Gambling
• Frequent or intense simulated gambling
• Frequent or intense mature or suggestive content
• Frequent or intense medical or treatment-focused content
• Frequent or intense references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use
• Frequent or intense sexual content or nudity
• Frequent or intense realistic violence

kitan97 wrote:

Ok, I guess that makes sense, but rating an app 17+ would probably suggest something about the ACTUAL app

Ads are also considered in the age rating, since you would not want a child to view ads that are not appropriate when using an app. The developer chooses the ad network they want to use and they are not provided by Apple.

kitan97 wrote:

I do get that a child would not want to see those unfiltered ads, but why?!?! Why can’t they just NOT add them?!

The Developer can certainly choose not to use those ads and there are filtering options when using any ad network. You can contact the developer and ask them why they do not support a more age friendly option.

kitan97 wrote:

I’m not saying that they shouldn’t make ads at all, I’m saying that why make an innocent game but put explicit ads to make it 17?

I don't think the ads are "explicit" in the sense that they involve nudity or s*x. But there are rules about selling things to kids. Apps in the Kids category can't include third-party advertising or analytics, nor can they transmit data to third parties. This means developers can't use advertising networks like AdMob or analytics platforms in their kids apps. That means a lot less money.

It is the Developer of the apps that chooses the rating to be used in the App Store. Apple does not set those ratings, they only offer the guidelines for the developer to use to make that determination. What is probably the case for this developer is that they want the freedom to be able to run ads where the content may not be suitable for those under 17. They have identified the demographic age group to target ads where they are more likely to see a return on ad spend. It is a term shortened as ROAS, used by companies to monetize their apps.

kitan97 wrote:

I do get that a child would not want to see those unfiltered ads, but why?!?! Why can’t they just NOT add them?!

The developers put in the ads to make money. Sure, they could not put them in but they probably don't want to work for free. Can you blame them?

You might want to see if there is a paid version of the app (or a similar app) that will allow you to make a one time payment for an app with no ads. Or, if you're willing to spend the money, there is always Apple Arcade. It's one monthly fee and you can use all of the games with no ads.

See Section 1.3 in the app review guidelines:

App Review Guidelines - Apple Developer

Hello~ The app developer doesn’t ask our opinion…so there’s nothing we can really do about that. I suppose you could contact the app developer if you like…

How to contact an app developer - Apple Support

~Katana-San~