Sexual objectification is always problematic in ads; presenting women (or men) as sexual objects is irresponsible and very likely to offend. It’s relatively easy to spot in traditional media such as posters and magazines, but what does this look like in mobile apps and games?
In March 2025, in a climate of public concern about the content children and young people are exposed to online, the ASA published the findings of a study on in-app ads which harmfully objectify women. Over three months, the ASA monitored in-game ads served to child and adult avatars on 14 game apps.
The vast majority (99.86%) of ads monitored did not depict women in a way which was objectifying or irresponsible. But in those few problematic ads, the Code breach was severe, with women shown as stereotypical sexual objects using tropes from pornography, often in non-consensual scenarios.
Girls will be girls…?
Ads which depict sexualisation or objectify people often also present a harmful or offensive gender stereotype. Code rule 4.9 states that ads ‘must not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence’. This rule was added following a review of gender stereotyping in ads by the ASA. CAP guidance on potentially harmful gender stereotypes and Harm and Offence: Gender Stereotypes will help ensure your ads comply.
Can I use animated characters?
Ads including anything that recognisably represents a woman or girl, including feminine animal characters, should take care not to stereotype them as sexual objects. The ASA ruled against an ad featuring an anime style image of a young woman with a tail and rabbit-like ears on that basis.
But it’s just pretend…
The report noted that ads for romance story apps or AI chat apps which allow sexual content, may, in reflecting the sexual nature of the apps, be at particular risk of breaching the rules around offence and harm. Depicting a woman as a sex object to be manipulated without consent trivialises and condones sexual assault and could encourage sexual violence.
So, whose responsibility is it to ensure ads don’t breach the Code?
Advertisers are responsible for ensuring ads they create do not cause harm. But given the egregious content of these ads, which come unbidden into people’s lives, and the ads’ potential to cause serious offence and harm particularly to women and girls, the ASA takes a zero-tolerance approach and expects all parties involved in the ad supply pathway to take steps to stop them.
What can you do?
- Put processes in place to identify content that might cause harm
- Take care with classification to help prompt an effective review
- Use moderation processes at various stages
- Make sure you’re aware of the requirements of the Code
- Refer to the following guidance: Entertainment: Mobile/app games, Harm and Offence: Sexualisation and objectification, Sexual and domestic violence
And if you need further advice, remember our Copy Advice team are always available to help.
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