A TruPlay Video games video describes the corporate’s effort to create family-friendly leisure rooted in Christian values. Credit score: TruPlay Video games by way of YouTube
A Christian gaming creator is urging Congress to look at promoting insurance policies at Google and TikTok after the corporate says its adverts have been repeatedly rejected regardless of being geared toward basic audiences and family-friendly content material.
The American Heart for Regulation and Justice (ACLJ) stated Wednesday that it despatched a letter to members of Congress on behalf of its shopper, TruPlay Video games, calling for an investigation into how the 2 platforms implement their promoting guidelines.
Based on the ACLJ, TruPlay has confronted dozens of advert rejections since 2023, together with for adverts that weren’t focused based mostly on spiritual perception.
“That is repeated conduct within the dozens,” TruPlay CEO Brent Dusing instructed FOX Enterprise. “We might get rejections a number of instances per week.”
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TruPlay says its mission is to develop a “stunning, enjoyable, world-class leisure platform which invitations kids right into a world of hope and God’s fact.” (iStock / iStock)
TruPlay Video games produces Bible-based video video games designed for kids and households, together with titles equivalent to “King David’s Battles” and “Chirp Music: Phrases of Reward.”
Dusing stated the corporate’s mission is to supply households a faith-based different in kids’s leisure, centered on Christian values and biblical storytelling.
Dusing stated TruPlay started promoting on Google in 2023 and on TikTok in January 2024. He stated restrictions on Google started roughly a month after promoting began, whereas TikTok rejections escalated extra sharply in 2025.
In its letter, the ACLJ stated TruPlay’s adverts have been rejected beneath Google’s coverage governing “spiritual perception in customized promoting,” though the adverts have been directed to broad audiences equivalent to mother and father and cell recreation customers relatively than customers chosen based mostly on spiritual perception.
The ACLJ stated TruPlay modified advert language a number of instances in an effort to adjust to platform guidelines, together with eradicating phrases equivalent to “Christian” and “Bible,” however that adverts continued to be rejected.
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On this graphic supplied by TruPlay video games, the corporate supplied adjustments to their marketing campaign wording for Google insurance policies. (Courtesy of TruPlay Video games)
Examples cited by the group embrace adverts initially labeled “Christian Video games for Children” and “Protected Bible Video games for Children,” which have been later revised however nonetheless flagged, in line with TruPlay.
“Our adverts have been focused to basic audiences — households and fogeys — to not customers based mostly on spiritual perception,” Dusing stated.
Dusing stated the lack of entry to Google and TikTok promoting had a “devastating” enterprise impression.
Dusing famous that Google and TikTok characterize a considerable share of the digital promoting marketplace for consumer-facing companies. “Once you lose these platforms, you lose a large capability to achieve your potential viewers,” he stated.
He added that TruPlay has marketed efficiently on Meta platforms, together with Fb and Instagram, in addition to on X, with out encountering comparable points.
A collection of TruPlay adverts, together with one that includes Riley Gaines, banned by TikTok admins. (Courtesy of TruPlay Video games)
TikTok took comparable enforcement motion, in line with the ACLJ, completely suspending TruPlay’s promoting account after what the platform described as “repeated violations.” In a single occasion cited within the letter, the ACLJ stated TikTok rejected an commercial that included the phrase “church.” In one other case, the group stated TikTok declined adverts as a result of preview photos in Apple’s App Retailer confirmed a cartoon depiction of Jesus.
In an announcement to FOX Enterprise, the ACLJ stated it has but to listen to again from Congress.
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In a weblog publish printed Wednesday, ACLJ Senior Affiliate Counsel Nathan Moelker stated the group is asking Congress to carry hearings and overview whether or not present promoting insurance policies quantity to viewpoint discrimination towards faith-based companies.
The ACLJ additionally pointed to broader issues about how Massive Tech applies content material and promoting guidelines, citing a latest letter from FCC Chair Brendan Carr questioning Google’s elimination of the Nice American Household community from YouTube TV.
Dusing pointed to automated content-moderation programs as a central subject, telling FOX Enterprise that “these selections aren’t being made by an individual on the cellphone — they’re being made by automated programs.”
In an announcement to FOX Enterprise, a Google spokesperson stated, “Adverts containing spiritual content material are allowed to run on our platforms. Our insurance policies prohibit concentrating on individuals based mostly on their delicate data, together with their spiritual affiliations, and these are utilized persistently no matter their beliefs.”
Google stated TruPlay’s adverts ran as lately as November, together with adverts containing spiritual terminology.
TikTok didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark concerning the ACLJ’s claims or how their promoting insurance policies are enforced with regards to spiritual content material.
