Android Question App removed from play store due to collection of Android Advertising ID

[Yuri Cinesi]

My app was removed from the play store with the following reason:

Google Play requires developers to provide a valid privacy policy when the app requests or handles sensitive user or device information. We’ve identified that your app collects and transmits the Android advertising identifier, which is subject to a privacy policy requirement. If your app collects the Android advertising ID, you must provide a valid privacy policy in both the designated field in the Play Console, and from within the app.

The problem is that there are no ads in the app, nor do I use the firebase admob library at all. What should I do? Is it possible that something within the app is triggering this? Here's the project zip file.

 

[Scantech]

I had this one before. I added Privacy Policy Web Address at Store listing in Google Console. Add the address and resubmit. and also might consider adding privacy policy within the app as well.

 

[Yuri Cinesi]

If there's no other choice I'll come up with something to put there as well, but i'd just like to find out why it's giving me this message when I don't have any kind of ads.

 

[Scantech]

I don't have an answer to that question. I had 4 apps rejected which all of them contains ads. I added privacy policy in the app and console which solved the problem.

 

[moster67]

Seems related to this thread
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...-library-based-on-build-configuration.105616/

 

[Yuri Cinesi]

Seems related to this thread
https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...-library-based-on-build-configuration.105616/

Yes and no, my app wasn't compiled with admob at all. Resubmitting it worked for some reason.

 

[Computersmith64]

Sometimes that message from Play Store re the Advertising ID is a little misleading. I had the same message for an app that has no ads - it turned out the issue was the app allows users to make calls which is considered "Personal & sensitive information". The problem was that because the message I got was that the issue was related to the Advertising ID, it took me a while to figure out what the actual issue was.

https://play.google.com/about/privacy-security-deception/personal-sensitive/

- Colin.

 

[AnandGupta]

Hi Yuri ,

Looking into your project I found, "FirebaseMessaging.bas". Maybe it is triggering the message.
Better have a privacy policy declared, as others have advised, and play along Google.

Regards,

Anand

 

[GraemeW]

I had exactly the same problem - not helped by any information from Google Play about the cause. In my case I eventually discovered that Firebase Crashlytics collects the client Adevertising ID - without any warning to the poor developer. I see Yuri doesn't have Crashlytics installed but perhaps check the very fine print of the other Firebase components...