A Christian gaming company is asking Congress to review Google’s and TikTok’s advertising policies after the tech companies repeatedly rejected the firm’s family-friendly content ads, a move…
A Christian gaming company is asking Congress to review Google’s and TikTok’s advertising policies after the tech companies repeatedly rejected the firm’s family-friendly content ads, a move it says threatens religious freedom.
“The cumulative effect of policies that systematically disadvantage religious expression –whether through ad restrictions, content moderation or algorithmic suppression – creates barriers to religious exercise in the digital public square,” the American Center for Law and Justice wrote in a letter to Congress. “When religious organizations cannot reach their audiences through the dominant communication channels of modern society, religious liberty suffers.”
TruPlay offers faith-based content for children, including Bible-based video games such as “King David’s Battles” and “Chirp Song: Words of Praise,” Fox Business reported.
“What we’re doing is unique because we’re building top-notch gaming content that competes with the top stuff on the App Store, but that contains God’s truth,” TruPlay founder and CEO Brent Dusing said in a video interview with Fox.
Dusing said he launched the company to counter what he described as corrupt content many children consume because of excessive screen time – as much as 50 hours a week. He said children’s content consumption correlates with rising anxiety, depression and suicide, as well as declining belief in God.
“As a parent – and I’m a parent – and there are a lot of parents out there that we hear this from that want the TruPlay solution,” Dusing said. “There’s nowhere they can take their kids to deliver high-quality entertainment – something they will actually enjoy and use – but that also contains God’s truth, that contains the values they hold dear. That’s why we’re doing TruPlay.”
Shortly after TruPlay began advertising on Google in 2023 and TikTok in 2024, the companies rejected its ads multiple times a week, Dusing told Fox. The rejections had a “devastating” impact on the business, he said.
“When you lose those platforms, you lose a massive ability to reach your potential audience,” Dusing said. He added that TruPlay has faced no advertising issues with Meta platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
The ACLJ is representing TruPlay and sent a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on Jan. 21 requesting an investigation into how Google and TikTok enforce their advertising rules.
“Google and TikTok’s treatment of family-friendly Christian content raises serious questions about religious discrimination in the digital public square,” the ACLJ wrote.
TruPlay also paid advertising fees up front before Google and TikTok rejected its ads but received no refunds.
“As a result, TruPlay incurred direct financial losses while being denied any opportunity to reach potential customers,” the letter said. “This practice compounds the discriminatory effect of Google and TikTok’s policies by imposing economic penalties on religious advertisers whose content is categorically barred.”
TruPlay altered its ad language, removing terms such as “Christian” and “Bible” to comply with Google’s policy on religious belief in personalized advertising, which forbids audience targeting, according to the letter. Dusing said TruPlay’s ads targeted general audiences such as parents and families, not religious groups.
“TruPlay’s mission is straightforward: transform screen time into opportunities for children to engage with their faith in an age-appropriate, entertaining format,” the ACLJ wrote. “Their business model relies on digital advertising to reach parents seeking faith-based content for their children.”
TikTok eventually permanently suspended TruPlay’s advertising account because of “repeated violations,” the letter said.
Google told Fox Business that its advertising policy prohibits targeting audiences based on religious affiliation but permits religious content in ads. As private companies, Google and TikTok may argue they have autonomy over their advertising decisions, Blaze Media reported.
The ACLJ argues Google and TikTok have established a “profound double standard,” promoting secular content without restriction while blocking Christian content “even when the targeting methodology is identical.”
“The systematic suppression of Christian content – particularly family-friendly content designed for children – represents a serious threat to religious liberty in the digital age,” the letter said. “American families deserve a level playing field where faith-based and secular content compete on merit, not platform bias.”
