Advertising ID Declaration

Scripture App Builder
#1

For those whose apps have used Google Ads (via FCBH or otherwise), do you know how to fill out the Advertising ID Declaration?

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If you click ‘No’, it seems like that is all that needs to be declared, but if you click ‘Yes’, this is what comes up below:

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I apologize for my ignorance. I make apps. Some use analytics, some have gone through advertising, but I have no idea what that means for filling out these kinds of forms.

Thanks for any help,
Matt

#2

Hi Matt, exact same question here. Never have done advertising in our apps as that is against practice. I am going to answer “No” and see what happens. Once I do so, then go back to Open Testing, Edit Release, then Review Release, the warning has gone away. So that’s good.

I’ll try to update further when I find out more.

For benefit of those searching, Google warns about the app. In addition to the standard (for me, anyway) warning about native code and no debug symbols included, I get this warning now:

Warning

You must complete the advertising ID declaration before you can release an app that targets Android 13 (API 33). We’ll use this declaration to provide safeguards in Play Console to accommodate changes to advertising ID in Android 13.

Apps targeting Android 13 or above and use advertising ID must include the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission in the manifest.

#3

Matt, this has nothing to do with the Google Ads since you haven’t added anything related to Google Ads in the app. I am assuming you have enabled Google Firebase or Advertising ID SDK is included in SAB’s codebase. Read more information here.

#4

Thanks for the helpful reply, @jkurian. I really appreciated that example of the filled-out form – super helpful for those of us who don’t understand what’s happening in the underlying code.

I apologize, as I did not understand your second sentence above, but if we have only used FCBH Analytics (not Firebase or any others), are we free to select ‘No’ on the Advertising ID form?

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#5

FCBH Analytics never collects Android Advertising ID. Wheras Google Firebase collects identifiers for mobile devices (for example, Android Advertising ID and Advertising Identifier for iOS) and utilizes technologies similar to cookies.

Let us wait to hear from SAB developers whether any SDK code in SAB uses Advertising ID, before selecting ‘No’.

#6

I believe that SAB never use Android Advertising ID.

#7

Thanks, @ChrisHubbard
Is there enough confidence there that we should be able to select ‘No’? I don’t know what the ramifications are if it turns out we’ve filled out this form inaccurately, so maybe I’m overthinking it; but if it’s possible to get a sure answer on this, I’d feel better about moving forward with it.

#8

@ChrisHubbard what about Branch Deep Linking? In the Release notes for SAB 10.1.1 it says:

“When using Branch deep linking, updated Android Advertising ID library to 17.1.0, which sets the required app permission.”
What does this mean?

#9

@Friedo, It looks like I was incorrect. I guess SAB used Android Advertising ID when you have Branch Deep Linking enabled.

#10

@ChrisHubbard does that mean that SAB does not use Android Advertising ID if we have not enabled Branch Deep Linking?

#11

@Matt_A I think that is correct. @richard would know for sure.

Chris

#12

I see, thanks. It would be good to make sure if it is still used and then add some information to the SAB documentation under Deferred Deep Linking.

#13

Yes, this is correct. We do not use the Advertising ID at all in any of the internal SAB code. It is only used by the Branch Deep Linking library - which we make use of if you enable deferred deep linking.