Your app is not compliant with Google Play Policies
FireCroc
Member, PRO Posts: 69
I created an app an educational app that targets children. The app uses Admob to serve Ads. It has been published on the Google play store for few months.
Recently I received a mail form Google saying that :
"Action Required: Your app is not compliant with Google Play Policies"
Action required: Submit an updated app within 30 days.
Make appropriate changes to your app, and be sure to remove any non-certified ad SDKs or SDKs that are not approved for use in child-directed services. Remember, apps in the Designed for Families program that use ad SDKs for serving ads must only use ad SDKs that have certified their compliance with the Families Ads Program. Additionally, all other SDKs used in your app must be appropriate to be used in child-directed services.
How do I update or remove non-certified ad SDKs or SDKs that are not approved for use in child-directed services. Not sure where to start.
Please help
Comments
I received the same email this morning, any help would be appreciated.
Get Screaming Loaf on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1813910/Screaming_Loaf/
We will need to add a configuration in publishing so you can mark your app as Child Targeted. We'll pass that value to admob and you should be good to go.
We'll let you know when that's ready (probably sometime next week).
I use Chartboost in my apps, not admob.
Get Screaming Loaf on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1813910/Screaming_Loaf/
Awesome, Thanks for the speedy response Adent42.
Appreciate it
@AshumBesher same difference in this case. I think all the ad networks have a similar flag. So we need to make it possible to pass that setting to all the ad networks.
Oh ok, thanks for your response :)
Get Screaming Loaf on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1813910/Screaming_Loaf/
ok the same i've received a lot fo email from Google about this issue... so thank you @adent42 for future fixing... i'm waiting for this update! :)
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@adent42 Same problem... I have also received few emails. All of my games (targeted for children) will be removed from the store without fix in 60 days.
@adent42 I have a few days left before google play store removes my app. Please let me know as soon as this is sorted, so that I can publish my app as child targeted
Yes i'm in the same situation and with this new rules about kid's policy etc...
anyway i've a lot of kids apps and now we need an update... finger crossed...
probably i will publish my app out of the kids category always if possible ...
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So here are things you can do without waiting on us:
If you are using Chartboost only, you can uncheck "Opt out of behavioral targeting" from your app settings.
https://answers.chartboost.com/en-us/articles/115001488494
If you are just using Chartboost, that should be all you need.
IronSrc has something similar. When get ready to go live there's a checkbox under a subsection called:
COPPA - ironSource network
[] This app is targeting child audience (as defined by COPPA/GDPR).
For ironSource you need to do one more thing and that's remove all networks except for the ones listed in the Family Ads Program Article
So disable:
Facebook, Fyber, HyprMX, Maio, Pangle, and Tapjoy.
If you're still running into problems after all of that, then let me know via PM by referencing this thread and sending me a link to your publishing page or APK.
Admob is the outlier here as they set this programatically, so we will need to add a publishing option for you to switch.
Hope that helps!
Thank you @adent42 for this reply but unfortunately i use mostly Admob for all my games...
Usually in my ChartBoost dashboard this option "Opt out of behavioral targeting" is unchecked for default.
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Thanks for the advice, but 'Opt out of behavioural targeting' was already unchecked in my Chartboost dashboard.
Get Screaming Loaf on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1813910/Screaming_Loaf/
@AshumBesher are you using any other ad network? If not then it should be fine and the problem is elsewhere. Please PM me a link to your APK (or the publishing link) and I can take a look.
@pinkio75 I'm working on the admob stuff right now. If you want to beat me to it, you could always set up for IronSrc with admob as the only provider?
Thank you but honestly i not using iron source at this time... i hope to have just one option to check in the publishing portal or something like else to avoid this issue... i'm really stressed with all AdMob issues... and in this moment i've received another email with suggestion to update the games with New 7.64 GMA SDK!!! :(
Just few years ago it was all much simpler than today! we can not go back? :)
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I second this. And add on the Android publishing issues as well.
Website ∞ Twitter ∞ My apps are available on: Apple iOS App Store ∞ Google Play App Store ∞ Amazon App Store
Oh how'd I'd love to go back to simpler times with advertising, but overall i think it's good for everyone.
We've got the code to set admob stuff in testing (Chartboost and Ironsrc, are configured server side).
As for what to look forward to, there will be a checkbox and a dropdown. The checkbox is for Child Directed. The dropdown is for Ad Content Rating.
Basically if your game is child directed, admob will ignore the content rating. If it's not, then you can set the content rating for ad delivery manually from G, PG, T, MA. If you're not familiar with the US rating system:
G - General Audience / Kid Friendly
PG - Parental Guidance / Older kids.
T - Teens
MA - Mature Audiences (Adults only, usually because of violence or sex).
It looks to be a simple fix so we won't need extensive testing, but I finished up yesterday afternoon and we'll be testing it today.
Someone on the team is already looking into why the chartboost games are being tagged.
Great news @adent42
Finally we can fix all the problems with children's games...
But this feature can fix somehow parental gate issue with Apple?
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No, you still have to manually do the logic for the parental gate (i.e. show your own gate activity and change which behaviors you used based on it.
You have an update, test it out and let me know if you run into any issues.