AppLovin Sued Over Adult Ads in Kids' Games
San Diego County has filed a lawsuit against mobile adtech company AppLovin, accusing it of serving children explicit ads for dating services, alcohol, vaping, and sexual content within games, even on devices with parental controls enabled. The complaint, filed by the county's new Consumer Fairness and Public Protection Unit, alleges AppLovin bypassed Apple and Google's tracking limits and used fingerprinting to target children without consent, collecting sensitive data like location and school details. Screenshots show ads for a sexualized AI chatbot and cannabis gummies on child-configured devices. AppLovin's policies prohibit collecting children's data, and the company has not responded to requests for comment. This lawsuit follows a recent SEC investigation that closed without action and AppLovin's own legal action against Unity.