We have many apps that are which are in the child directed and which we are distributing over Google Play Store.
Now google play has changed something on their Familes Policy Requirements. So when we upload an app Google allways tells us that they have detected that the app collects personal sensitive information:
Android Device ID
Advertising ID
Now, we tried to upload an app which is completelly empty. All packages have been removed. No services active.We testet on Unity 2017.4 LTS and 2019.3.11f1
So we cannot upload anymore unity apps without beeing blocked by google?!
We need urgent help to get this working, else we could loose our apps on Google Play Store!!!
I think google scans the build apks if they find advertisting id included (as there are no outgoing connections on our testsā¦). When I search through the package I find a advertisting id included. Or at least some error message handling it. So , I donāt know if google finds a correct issue in unity build apks/aab or just have a false positive match when they scan the build file.
Google just sent us a message that we need to change the setting when we upload. But this doesnāt help usā¦ as we donāt want to have any collection of personal and sensitive information from children!!! We would need to ask for parental consent. But this is a strong limitation.
So here the what they write:
We detected that your app collects personal and sensitive information from children, but this was not disclosed in your Play Console. Apps that include children in the target audience must comply with all Families Policy Requirements, which requires that you disclose the collection of any personal and sensitive information in your app, including through APIs and SDKs called or used in your app.
We have written directly to google and didnāt get any additional answer regarding this issue.
Having the same issue and rejection email from Google and agree with the sentiment that Unity need to step up and sort this frustration out FFS. Whatās the point of setting advertising for kids if it doesnāt work or releasing any app if you canāt track BASIC metrics. Wtf Unity.
This script stops Analytics to startā¦ But I have no analytics at all in the app (There is NOTHING in the App, just empty).
No Service installed, all Packages deleted. And google tells me that it collects sensitive informationā¦
By using this script I get the message: The name āAnalyticsā does not exist in the current context
because there is no analytics installedā¦
On Google Play, took my project out of the āFor children mainly/Familyā programme - itās still certified for an audience of 3+, but isnāt SPECIFICALLY targeted at < 13 anymore.
And it got published. So now Iām wondering which of those things (or if both of them) was the culprit. Guess I will try to include analytics again and see if it gets published.
Dondon is your test app maybe falling into the point 2 category I listed above?
Yes, this will work as itās not a coppa app anymore. All coppa apps, which are detect to have to be coppa because there is a icon or whatever which is orientated especially for children, have to be in the family programmā¦ so I cannot change this and get out of the faimly programm.
I have contact also some google guys and they are looking together with unity guys into itā¦ but donāt know if and when they can deliver any results. Hmm eventually they have changed something will try to upload again.
We are having the same issue here.
Our app is targetting kids between 3 and 6 years old, so taking out the āfor children mainly / familyā is not an option. Also, we have in-app purchases so Analytics needs at least to be activated and we do use it to track performance and player behaviour.
We made sure that all COPPA compliant requirements are included in the app (parental gates, not tracking personal data, etc.) and we never had this issue before Google changed its Family Policy. Please help?
We did have the same issue with the Apple App store some months ago and we decided to take out all analytics from the games to be able to submit them (which is a living hell as every time you build the game you have to retouch the project in XCode), but taking Analytics out from Google too would be too much as this leaves us ānakedā to improve our games.
Also we set the link to the privacy policy in our games and in the Google Play Console (which was already the case). We are currently working on our privacy policy to explicitly explain that we are using Unity Analytics and include a link to its privacy policy. I will tell you if this does the trick but I am not sure about itā¦
In the same boat, but I do want some basic analytics. @dondon did you check ādisable hardware statisticsā (that might be removed in 2019.3 and newer)?
Hey @hawkwood
There is no possibility on 2019.3 for the ādisable hardware statisticsā as you mentionedā¦
On Unity 2017.4 where you have the possibility - I tried, but with no success. Google still blocks it.
I can confirm after reaching out to the Google Play team that they ādetected that your app collects the following personal and sensitive information: Android Device ID and Advertising ID.ā
@dondon did you say that Unity is working on this? Did they mention a timeline, possible solutions, or a workaround?
@_Adriaan_1 My Google contact told me that the google guys are looking with the unity guys about it. But he told me also we should ourselfs talk to unity. I didnāt get any final answer from him till nowā¦ still waiting and hoping.
As more people are stressing Unity to solve this issue, as more they will undestand that this is a mayor issue!
