Ads

Apps that extend usage of permission based device location data for serving ads are subject to the Personal and Sensitive Information policy, and must also comply with the following requirements:

• Use or collection of permission based device location data for advertising purposes must be clear to the user and documented in the app’s mandatory privacy policy, including linking to any relevant ad network privacy policies addressing location data use.
• In accordance with Location Permissions requirements, location permissions may only be requested to implement current features or services within your app, and may not request device location permissions solely for the use of ads.

Ads must not simulate or impersonate the user interface of any app, notification, or warning elements of an operating system. It must be clear to the user which app is serving each ad.

• Ads that mimic an app's UI:

  
   

  ① The question mark icon in this app is an ad that takes the user to an external landing page.

• Ads that mimic a system notification:

  
  

  ① ② The examples above illustrate ads mimicking various system notifications.

Disruptive ads are ads that are displayed to users in unexpected ways, that may result in inadvertent clicks, or impairing or interfering with the usability of device functions. 

Your app cannot force a user to click an ad or submit personal information for advertising purposes before they can fully use an app. Interstitial ads may only be displayed inside of the app serving them. If your app displays interstitial ads or other ads that interfere with normal use, they must be easily dismissible without penalty.

• Ads that take up the entire screen or interfere with normal use and do not provide a clear means to dismiss the ad:
  

         ① This ad does not have a dismiss button.

• Ads that force the user to click-through by using a false dismiss button, or by making ads suddenly appear in areas of the app whether the user usually taps for another function.
  
• An ad that is using a false dismiss button
  
  An ad that suddenly appears in an area where the user is used to tapping for in-app functions

• Ads that display outside of the app serving them:

  

  Description: The user navigates to the home screen from this app, and suddenly an ad appears on the homescreen.

• Ads that are triggered by the home button or other features explicitly designed for exiting the app:

  

  Description: The user attempts to exit the app and navigate to the home screen, but instead, the expected flow is interrupted by an ad.

Google Play Services version 4.0 introduced new APIs and an ID for use by advertising and analytics providers. Terms for the use of this ID are below.

• Usage. The Android advertising identifier must only be used for advertising and user analytics. The status of the “Opt out of Interest-based Advertising” or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” setting must be verified on each access of the ID.
• Association with personally-identifiable information or other identifiers.
  • Advertising use: The advertising identifier may not be connected to persistent device Identifiers (for example: SSAID, MAC address, IMEI, etc.) for any advertising purpose. The advertising identifier may only be connected to personally-identifiable information with the explicit consent of the user.
  • Analytics use: The advertising identifier may only be connected to personally-identifiable information or associated with any persistent device identifier (for example: SSAID, MAC address, IMEI, etc.) with the explicit consent of the user.
• Respecting users' selections. If reset, a new advertising identifier must not be connected to a previous advertising identifier or data derived from a previous advertising identifier without the explicit consent of the user. Also, you must abide by a user’s “Opt out of Interest-based Advertising” or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” setting. If a user has enabled this setting, you may not use the advertising identifier for creating user profiles for advertising purposes or for targeting users with personalized advertising. Allowed activities include contextual advertising, frequency capping, conversion tracking, reporting and security and fraud detection.
• Transparency to users. The collection and use of the advertising identifier and commitment to these terms must be disclosed to users in a legally adequate privacy notification. To learn more about our privacy standards, please review our User Data policy.
• Abiding by the terms of use. The advertising identifier may only be used in accordance with these terms, including by any party that you may share it with in the course of your business. All apps uploaded or published to Google Play must use the advertising ID (when available on a device) in lieu of any other device identifiers for any advertising purposes.