Christian Gaming Platform Says Its Ads Are Blocked by Google, TikTok, but Satanic Game Allowed
A faith-based entertainment platform says it has faced censorship from major technology companies like Google and TikTok.
TruPlay Games is a "safe and ad-free platform offering Bible-based games and Christian content for children," according to its website. Despite its clean and safe content, ads promoting the platform on Google and TikTok are allegedly being flagged and banned.
In a video posted to TruPlay's Instagram page, founder Brent Dusing shares documented incidences where they got "hit with violation after violation by Google saying, 'You're running religious content.'"
Dusing points out that another "religious" game promoting Satanism, called "Diablo," is actively being promoted on the Google platform.
"The fact that Google is working actively against a Christian organization (that tries) to uplift children is reprehensible, and it must change," he said in the video.
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Dusing previously told CBN his platform uses technology to deliver games, comics, and videos to phones and tablets through an app, and the mission is to reorient the content young people consume.
The TruPlayGames CEO says games like Roblox and Diablo, which feature violent and graphic images aimed at kids, are actively being promoted on both TikTok and Google.
As CBN News reported, the non-profit organization, The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), has continually called for Roblox to implement safety measures to protect young users.
In March 2023, a 40-year-old California man was arrested after traveling across the country to sexually abuse a 14-year-old he met and groomed on Roblox, according to a report compiled by NCOSE.
A month later, a 14-year-old girl from Ohio was sexually assaulted by a man she met on Roblox. The man posed as a 17-year-old on the platform and convinced the girl to send him nude images before picking her up from school and sexually assaulting her.
Since then, NCOSE says there have been no improvements to protect children. News reports indicate the problem has only gotten worse.
According to the Guardian, children as young as five are able to communicate with adults while playing games on the platform. Additionally, researchers have found that adults and children can interact with no effective age verification.
"Safety controls that exist are limited in their effectiveness, and there are still significant risks for children on the platform," researchers with Revealing Reality told the outlet.
Many of the games on the site contain sexually explicit themes, including strip clubs, dance clubs, and "Condo Experiences," explains a report from NCOSE.
"Many youth have reported innocently visiting 'condo experiences' only to be encouraged to visit someone's 'home,' go into the 'bedroom,' and then engage in virtual sexual acts. Other children innocently wander around the games and stumble on this activity," the report describes.
Through TruPlay Games, Dusing is leading the charge to protect children's innocence when gaming.
"Everything we do contains God's truth," Dusing told CBN News. "It's a faith-forward solution for families where kids are on screens 50 hours a week — and, most of the time, they're playing games."
Dusing wants to infuse biblical truth into young minds by tapping into this reality. "Our vision is to change an entire generation right now," he said.
"Google and TikTok are sending a clear message: faith-driven solutions for kids aren't welcome but harmful, hyper-sexualized media is," Dusing said in a press statement.
CBN News has reached out to Google and TikTok for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
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