Apps for children

App publishers need to take particular care when handling data collected from children. Any app designed for individuals under the age of 13 must comply with governing laws. Read more about Adjust's COPPA compliance.

If you publish an app that targets children, you need to implement the Adjust SDK in a compliant way.

Android apps

Google recently introduced a feature to limit the tracking of Advertising IDs. There are two methods to comply with Google's guidelines.

  • If your app needs to be COPPA complaint, use the COPPA Compliance method.

    • This method disables third-party sharing before the first session is launched.
    • This method prevents the SDK from reading device and advertising IDs (e.g. gps_adid and android_id).

  • If your app targets users under the age of 13, and the install region is not the USA, use the Play Store Kids App method.

    • This method prevents the SDK from reading device and advertising IDs (e.g. gps_adid and android_id).

Google’s Families Policy suggests that apps targeted to kids should not use the AD_ID permission. Adjust recommends that your apps:

  • Target API 33 when possible.
  • Do not add AD_ID permission to the app.

The Adjust SDK includes the com.google.android.gms.AD_ID permission by default in version 4.31.1 and above. You can remove it by adding a remove directive if need to make your app COPPA-compliant or if you do not target the Google Play Store.

<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID" tools:node="remove"/>

See Google's AdvertisingIdClient.Info documentation for more information about this permission.

iOS apps

To implement the Adjust SDK in a compliant way for iOS:

  1. Set up SKAdNetwork in the Adjust SDK.
  2. Set up the Adjust iOS SDK to block your app from sharing data with third parties.

If your app needs to be COPPA complaint, use the COPPA Compliance method.

  • This method disables third-party sharing before the first session is launched.
  • This method prevents the SDK from reading device and advertising IDs (e.g. idfa).

To comply with Apple’s guidelines, remove the frameworks listed below, and all references to them, from the Adjust iOS SDK.

  • AppTrackingTransparency.framework: Used on iOS14+ for the Adjust SDK to wrap the user's tracking consent dialog and read the value of the user's tracking consent.
  • AdSupport.framework: Provides the Adjust SDK access to the IDFA value.
Tip:
An app could still be considered targeted to children or a mixed audience under COPPA even if it's not in the Kids Category of the App Store. Review your app carefully to determine whether it may be targeted to children.