Apple has replaced a billboard in Milan showing a small child holding an iPhone as part of its latest “Relax, it’s iPhone” campaign after the Italian Child Rights Authority (AGIA), which is part of the Authority for Guarantee of Children and Adolescents, criticized Apple's depiction of a young child holding an iPhone in its campaign.

According to 9to5mac, the campaign focuses on the device's durability and resilience, featuring scenarios where an iPhone might be exposed to water, dropped, or used in potentially hazardous ways. These include someone taking a photo during heavy rain, another watching a video while the iPhone is perched on the edge of a bathtub, a dog carrying an iPhone in its mouth, and a small child holding it in an unskilled manner.

Details of Apple's advertising crisis

Once the billboard depicting the latter scenario was placed on Via Mercanti Goya in Milan, AGIA received a message from a citizen expressing concern that the advertisement promotes the concept of “digital childcare,” meaning using electronic devices as a means to care for children.

AGIA agreed and referred the matter to the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM), the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), and the country's Institute of Self-Regulation of Advertisements (IAP) to conduct appropriate reviews and take any potential action.

According to the newspapers “Prima Comunicazione” and “Repubblica Milano”, Apple has removed the controversial billboard, replacing it with an advertisement promoting the potential of the "Find My" feature on the device.

Apple did not publicly comment on the controversy, but its quick response suggests that it took the criticism seriously, even if the message the ad wanted to convey about the durability of the iPhone was different from how it was interpreted.