Maria Julia Cassis, a 28-year-old barista from Brazil residing in north London, was left horrified when her 6-year-old son encountered a disturbing video while playing a puzzle game on his Android phone.

As Maria Julia Cassis's 6-year-old son entered the dining room with a pale face, she was enjoying lunch in her north London terraced house.

His Android phone's puzzle game had been cut off by a blurry, horrific film featuring distressed Israeli families and Hamas gunmen. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent the first-grader a message over a black screen that said, "WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO HARM US PAY A HEAVY PRICE."

Photo of Maria Julia Cassis in her Home

Cassis's family isn't alone; similar incidents have been reported across Europe, including cases where these pro-Israel videos infiltrated popular games like "Angry Birds." Rovio, the developer of "Angry Birds," confirmed the issue, stating that the ads had mistakenly made it into their game and were being manually blocked.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the video as a government-promoted ad but claimed ignorance about its presence in various games. They defended the graphic nature of the ad, emphasizing the need to showcase the reality of the situation in Israel.

Despite efforts to trace the origin, the source of these ads remains unclear. While Rovio contacted numerous advertising firms, including Amazon, Index Exchange, and Pinterest, none claimed responsibility. The ministry revealed spending money with ad companies like Taboola, Outbrain, Google, and X (formerly Twitter), but these companies denied involvement in the gaming ads.

Reuters found no evidence of a similar Palestinian digital advertising effort, raising questions about the motivation behind these pro-Israel ads. The ads appeared in games like "Alice's Mergeland," "Stack," "Balls'n Ropes," "Solitaire: Card Game 2023," and "Subway Surfers."

Parents and gamers alike express their shock and concern over these unexpected and graphic ads. The incident has sparked a wider conversation about online safety, parental control, and the responsibility of the gaming industry in protecting young users from inappropriate content.

In the UK, where one of the affected families resides, the Advertising Standards Authority emphasized the importance of carefully targeting ads with graphic imagery away from under-18s. As the gaming industry grapples with this controversy, questions about digital advertising ethics and regulations come to the forefront, demanding urgent attention and action.