Using App Tracking Transparency (iOS 14)

DigiChain

@adent42

When publishing games to iOS with an ad network enabled do Gamesalad games now include the code to call the ATT prompt on iOS14? I can see in the previous RC notes you've included:

• Enable with the Enable Ad Network Attribution publishing option.
• Support requestTrackingAuthorizationWithCompletionHandler
• Support SKAdNetworkItems / SKAdNetworkIdentifier in publishing.

I assume therefore it does and will call the ATT prompt automatically on iOS14?

Apple also no longer allow us to show a GDPR prompt if showing the ATT. I'm guessing the work around here is to only show the GDPR prompt if the device is running < iOS14.

Just trying to get my head around these changes. These things make my brain hurt!

adriangomez

What follows is my opinion, testing, and what I have read. Please take it with a grain of salt.

1. I believe Tenjin did a test and less than 20% of people are clicking on Yes.
2. Apple has yet to release the update that makes everybody a no. So currently everybody is a YES.
3. From my testing, if a person is a yes (currently most people are yes) and you ask the question they turn into a No and you get all 000s for IDFA.
4. When a person is a NO (all 0s in IDFA) apple will send aggregated data of installs by using the SKAdNetworkItems.

It is my opinion that there is absolutely no benefit to asking the question until after Apple makes the change to NO. All you are doing is converting people that are a YES to NO ahead of their time.

I have confirmed that some of the SKAdNetworkItems are in the GameSalad build when I check off the enable ad network attribution. I have yet to see the pop-up question in a GameSalad game.

This does not answer all your questions but maybe it helps.

adent42

@DigiChain yes on all 3 counts. I haven't actually tested the iOS prompt, but we implemented the code as directed. When we released the SKAdNetworkItems support, the publishing code for filling that in was buggy so it may be in your app if you published before about 2 release ago(?)

DigiChain

@adriangomez - I was under the impression that the ATT prompt was mandatory on iOS14, or at least will be in the coming weeks.

@adent42 - I haven't published anything for a few months so haven't tested at all. Will we need to enable the ATT prompt when publishing - or will it just be enabled automatically when we use ad networks?

adent42

@DigiChain if I read the docs right, what I implemented should be automatic.

adriangomez

@DigiChain Google has announced that they are not showing it for their properties. Until that announcement in January, I was under the same assumption as you.

DigiChain

Ok, thanks.

I'll run a test on iOS14 at some point and will report back if i'm not seeing the ATT prompt.

DigiChain

@adent42 - I've just created an iOS build with ads (using Ironsource). I'm testing it on a new iPad running OS14.4 but the ATT prompt does not show. As the app has ads and collects data I'm pretty sure apple won't allow (or pretty soon won't allow) it through review without calling the ATT.

Are you able to look at why it isn't showing. Thanks

adent42

My guess is I haven't actually implemented the popup, just the actual tracking part. We'll look into it and do a release soon.

DigiChain

Ok, I'll attempt to publish without ATT for now - and update when it's implemented. Thanks.

solnika

May I ask what is ATT all about?

I found it hard to understand all this GDPR/ATT staff...

DigiChain

Things were so much easier before GDPR/ATT came along.

Essentially you need to gain permission before collecting the users data to deliver ads etc. GDPR became law in the EU a few years back, so if you collect any personal data from users in the EU you must get consent first. Apple are now introducing a similar thing into all their devices running iOS 14.

solnika

@DigiChain thanks for the info.

I guess that if the ad network collecting data it's like I'm collecting it ?

So if I don't get permission I can't show ads? and if I'll try apple will reject the app, is that correct ?

Does google follow the same?

DigiChain

Yes, you're responsible for any data collected through your app.

If you don't get permission for collecting data from users within the EU you are breaking the GDPR law - so theoretically you can land yourself in trouble for this with the possibility of huge fines.

With apple right now I believe you can show ads/collect data without permission (but still need to follow GDPR in the EU), but all that will change in the coming month when you'll need to follow their new data rules!

solnika

so confusing, so in the use you can serve ads no questions ask, but for EU you need permissions.

I guess asking for permission only for EU is making sense right ?

Would love to hear how others are handling this?

solnika

Is it allow to tell the users that they cant play the game without ads, and block it?

adent42

You can still show ads either way, but you must obtain consent to show targeted ads, i.e. ads that track people's preferences. Without consent the theory is that the ads are less effective and so may be worth less / pay less.

solnika

@adent42 Hi, do we need to do something else after the user agree/disagree ?

bob loblaw

have a look in the pinned gdpr thread. if you’re using targeted ads, probably save the consent attribute so the user doesn’t always get asked if the same question.

adent42

So there are actually two things in play here:

1) GDRP - this requires a permission request to show personalized ads. You can learn more in this thread: https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/96505/global-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-you/p1

You may need to do this separately from the iOS user tracking popup as the what they are asking is slightly different.

2) This thread is about multiple thing

• SKAdNetwork - these are keys you put into your app's plist to allow ad networks to track installs (so they can give ads credit). We do this for you already.
• NSUserTrackingUsageDescription - this is a plist entry with text describing why you want to track user data. We haven't added that yet, but this will be added as part of publishing shortly and will say something like: "This will be used to deliver personalized ads to you." This will be handled on publishing.
• Finally, something that I didn't do but thought I had: requestTrackingAuthorizationWithCompletionHandler. We'll be working to add the call for a release next week. To speed support, instead of adding a new behavior we'll be using a hack with the Sharing / Twitter behavior. You will call that wish special string and it will show the popup. This will allow users to control when the popup shows.

While I personally think the apple privacy prompt should cover the GDRP, I'm not a lawyer.

Some sites suggest separate prompts and there are different API to handle this, so I think it would be safer to have both a GDRP prompt and a Tracking Authorization alert.

Google further suggest using a custom popup to give more detailed messaging around the prompt, to improve the chances of acceptance.

Lastly, Apple does not want you to offer incentives to accept the prompt, so no: "Get credits if you accept. Or: Some content will be locked until you accept" messages.

Keep an eye out for the next RC (which is in the process of testing).

solnika

Thanks for the info

DigiChain

Some sites suggest separate prompts and there are different API to handle this, so I think it would be safer to have both a GDRP prompt and a Tracking Authorization alert.

Just to add to what @adent42 has said here - I have published a game created in another game engine which attempted to use both the GDPR prompt and Apples ATT prompt and it was rejected. It seems Apple want you to use their prompt only.

adent42

@DigiChain good to know! It means we'll need to use Apple's prompts to adjust GDPR settings.

manoolgames

Hi everyone,

I've just submitted an app for review with admob and received the following email from Apple:

"We're looking forward to completing the review of your app, but we need more information to continue. Specifically, we noticed that your app uses the AppTrackingTransparency framework, but we haven't been able to locate the relevant AppTrackingTransparency permission requests.

While it is not required to implement AppTrackingTransparency at this time, we check to make sure the implementation is compliant with our guidelines when we detect the framework in an app."

Next Steps

If your app integrates AppTrackingTransparency, please indicate where in your app we can find the AppTrackingTransparency permission request.

If your app does not integrate AppTrackingTransparency, please indicate this information in the Review Notes section for each version of your app in App Store Connect when submitting for review"

Since there is no option to insert this Pop up message for user's acceptance, I decided to go an easy way and just added the comment in the Review Notes that the app does not integrate AppTrackingTransparency and re-submitted for review. Let's see if that works.

UPDATE

It is Ready for Sale now

adent42

@manoolgames good call. We have preliminary support for it in the RC but we released it without testing (since it's on a non-critical path). Our team is about to start testing the implementation this week.

adent42

requestIDFA is indeed. bugged and we'll be pushing out another release soon that fixes it. We'll also be updating publishing so that you can set the message you want to display.

Chris Fitsimons

Hi all. I have just had the same email from apple for AppTrackingTransparency

As we have to also put in contact information with the notes to say its not used, I am not able to enter my mobile number in the phone field as it reports invalid when I click save.

Can someone let me know the correct format this should be entered?

I tried number with no spaces, number with spaces, country code, international+country+number. nothing seems to work.

Any ideas?

Chris Fitsimons

Interesting.... Putting my house phone number +4412..... works. Putting my mobile +4478... does not work. I do not know if this is due the my mobile linked to my apple developer account or it just does not like the number.

pinkio75

ok i'm in stuck with Apple publishing about this thing they reply me:

"Guideline 2.1 - Information Needed

We're looking forward to completing the review of your app, but we need more information to continue. Specifically, we noticed that your app uses the AppTrackingTransparency framework, but we haven't been able to locate the App Tracking Transparency permission request.

Next Steps

Please indicate where in your app we can find the AppTrackingTransparency permission request. The request should appear before any data is collected that could be used to track the user"

I mean what i need to reply to Apple about this issue? My game have just AdMob ADV.

i'm going crazy with apple :(

bob loblaw

so i had this a few weeks back, even though i was using non targeted ads (which still aren’t working on apple).

if that’s the case with you, you’ll need to put a comment in the review section explaining that, save then resubmit (don’t we’d a new build). i got the message because i filled out the privacy thing saying it uses coarse location i think it was. my comment in the review section stated as much and they passed it on resubmission.

pinkio75

ok the game is approved i just need to remove the app tracking from infoplist thank you @adent42