Apple has removed a billboard in Milan that showed a toddler holding an iPhone after Italy’s children’s rights authority raised concerns about the image. The ad formed part of Apple’s latest “Relax, it’s iPhone” campaign, which promotes the iPhone’s durability through situations where the device faces water, drops, and other everyday risks.
The controversial billboard appeared on via Melchiorre Gioia and showed a young child holding an iPhone in a way that was meant to highlight how the device can survive rough handling. However, the image quickly attracted criticism because some people believed it presented smartphone use by very young children as normal.
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Italy’s children’s rights watchdog, Autorità Garante per l’Infanzia e l’Adolescenza, said it received a complaint from a citizen who argued that the ad encouraged the idea of “electronic babysitting.” The authority agreed that the concerns deserved further review and referred the matter to several Italian regulators and advertising bodies.
Apple replaces the billboard with a Find My ad
Prima Comunicazione reports that Apple has now removed the toddler billboard and replaced it with another advertisement focused on the iPhone’s Find My feature.
Apple has not issued a public statement explaining the decision, so the company has not directly addressed the criticism surrounding the original image. However, the quick replacement shows that Apple responded soon after the controversy reached Italian regulators and the local media.
The wider “Relax, it’s iPhone” campaign remains focused on iPhone durability, with other ads showing the device exposed to rain, placed near a bathtub, or carried by a dog. The Milan billboard became controversial because viewers interpreted the child-focused image differently from Apple’s intended durability message.
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