Christian kids app claims Google, TikTok blocked ads as Congress is pressed to act: 'It's devastating'
A Christian gaming creator is urging Congress to examine advertising policies at Google and TikTok after the company says its ads were repeatedly rejected despite being aimed at general audiences and family-friendly content.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) said Wednesday it had sent a letter to members of Congress on behalf of its client, TruPlay Games, calling for an investigation into how the two platforms enforce their advertising rules.
According to the ACLJ, TruPlay has faced dozens of ad rejections since 2023, including for ads that were not targeted based on religious belief.
"This is repeated behavior in the dozens," TruPlay CEO Brent Dusing told FOX Business. "We would get rejections multiple times a week."
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TruPlay Games produces Bible-based video games designed for children and families, including titles such as "King David’s Battles" and "Chirp Song: Words of Praise."
Dusing said the company’s mission is to offer families a faith-based alternative in children’s entertainment, centered on Christian values and biblical storytelling.
Dusing said TruPlay began advertising on Google in 2023 and on TikTok in January 2024. He said restrictions on Google began roughly a month after advertising started, while TikTok rejections escalated more sharply in 2025.
In its letter, the ACLJ said TruPlay’s ads were rejected under Google’s policy governing "religious belief in personalized advertising," even though the ads were directed to broad audiences such as parents and mobile game users rather than users selected based on religious belief.
The ACLJ said TruPlay modified ad language multiple times in an effort to comply with platform rules, including removing terms such as "Christian" and "Bible," but that ads continued to be rejected.
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Examples cited by the group include ads originally labeled "Christian Games for Kids" and "Safe Bible Games for Kids," which were later revised but still flagged, according to TruPlay.
"Our ads were targeted to general audiences — families and parents — not to users based on religious belief," Dusing said.
Dusing said the loss of access to Google and TikTok advertising had a "devastating" business impact.
Dusing noted that Google and TikTok represent a substantial share of the digital advertising market for consumer-facing businesses.
"When you lose those platforms, you lose a massive ability to reach your potential audience," he said.
He added that TruPlay has advertised successfully on Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and X without encountering similar issues.
TikTok took similar enforcement action, according to the ACLJ, permanently suspending TruPlay’s advertising account after what the platform described as "repeated violations." In one instance cited in the letter, the ACLJ said TikTok rejected an advertisement that included the word "church." In another case, the group said TikTok declined ads because preview images in Apple’s App Store showed a cartoon depiction of Jesus.
In a statement to FOX Business, the ACLJ said it has yet to hear back from Congress.
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In a blog post published Wednesday, ACLJ Senior Associate Counsel Nathan Moelker said the organization is asking Congress to hold hearings and review whether current advertising policies that amount to viewpoint discrimination against faith-based businesses.
The ACLJ also pointed to broader concerns about how Big Tech applies content and advertising rules, citing a recent letter from FCC Chair Brendan Carr questioning Google’s removal of the Great American Family network from YouTube TV.
Dusing pointed to automated content-moderation systems as a central issue, telling FOX Business that "these decisions aren’t being made by a person on the phone, they’re being made by automated systems."
In a statement to FOX Business, a Google spokesperson said, "Ads containing religious content are allowed to run on our platforms. Our policies prohibit targeting people based on their sensitive information, including their religious affiliations, and these are applied consistently regardless of their beliefs."
Google said TruPlay’s ads ran as recently as November, including ads containing religious terminology.
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the ACLJ’s claims or how their advertising policies are enforced when it comes to religious content.