Mobile games are very popular these days. On average, gamers spend four to five hours a day, which is a huge market for advertisers. However, despite huge fines by regulatory authorities, many gaming apps do not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or ePrivacy Directive.

Mobile Games and User Privacy

In Europe, collection and management of personal data is strictly regulated by the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, and non-compliance with the privacy laws is penalized with huge fines. However, despite huge fines by regulatory authorities, many gaming apps do not comply with the GDPR or ePrivacy Directive. Gaming apps still want to control the processing of user personal data. A recent study analyzed 269 popular iOS and Android games, having at least 150,000 daily active users, and revealed that a vast majority of mobile gaming apps collect personal data without getting user consent. In Europe (94%) and in North America (86%), mobile gaming apps collected personal data without their consent.

The reason why most mobile game publishers and developers don’t collect consent could be concerns that it will negatively affect their revenue.

However, the situation is changing. First, users are getting more concerned about their data privacy. 40% of players said they would uninstall a game if they had concerns regarding their data privacy. This could negatively affect games’ revenue even more than asking for consent.

Second, publishing platforms, premium brands, and ad networks are starting to demand game developers to use only compliant data. For example, Google earlier this year presented new CMP requirements for their product users, including gaming publishers. So, game developers will be forced to get consent if they want to use in-app advertising (IAA).

Google New CMP Requirements for Gaming Publishers

In 2023, Google launched new consent management requirements for CMPs to get Google certification for serving ads in the EEA and UK. This includes an updated IAB TCF compliance. Only certified CMPs could use Google Ads products like Google AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob.

The new requirements apply to gaming publishers and developers if they want to continue using Google Ads products.

So, how will the new Google requirements affect gaming publishers and developers? Basically, if you want to continue using Google ad products for your product monetization, you must fulfill the following conditions:

1. Get user consent. If you serve ads to your users in the EEA and the UK, you must inform users that you collect their data, what you do with that data, and get their consent.
2. Use adequate cookie banner. A simple banner, only your Terms of Service or Privacy Policy, will no longer be sufficient. You must present your users with a Cookie Banner that shows all categories of cookies used, and the user should have the possibility to accept only selected categories of cookies.
3. Use Googe-certified CMP platform. Google will allow the use of its ad products only with Google-certified CMP.

An example of a CookieScript Cookie Banner with a gradual consent of categories of cookies.

CookieScript is a Google-certified CMP.

How Can Gaming Publishers Be Compliant?

To fulfill the above-mentioned conditions for using Google ad products, gaming publishers and developers will need to use Google-certified Consent Management Platforms (CMP).

A CMP is a tool that controls user consent on apps and websites. It manages the collection and processing of users’ personal data. The process of acquiring Cookie Consent happens through cookies – when a user visits a website or opens your app, a Cookie Banner pops up and asks for your consent to collect and manage your data.

A Google-certified Consent Management Platform must have these options:

1. Inform users about their data collection and processing activities and purposes. You must inform users what data you collect, for which purposes, under which legal justification, and other legal requirements required by various privacy laws.
2. Offer a choice for granular consent. Users should be able to grant consent to all cookies, reject all cookies, or grant consent only for specific categories of cookies. For example, they could accept performance cookies, but reject advertising cookies.
3. Record granular consent. A CMP should record granular user consent for proof of compliance and present only the cookies to which the user agreed.

In general, a CMP helps companies provide transparency to their users about what data they collect, what they do with that data, for what purposes, and if they share that data with third parties, if any.

Get started with the CookieScript CMP, which is Google-certified and has the following functionalities for gaming publishers:

• Fully customizable and configurable Cookie Banner
• Easy Cookie Banner integration with the most popular CMS platforms
• Consent notices for mobile apps on iOS and Android, integrating with various platforms
• Maintains a full history of user consent
• Cross-domain and Cross-platform banner sharing
• CookieScript is a Google-certified CMP, integrated with IAB’s TCF.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to comply with Google CMP requirements as a gaming publisher?

Gaming publishers, if they want to continue using Google ad products for their product monetization, must fulfill the following conditions: inform users about their personal data management through a cookie banner, get user consent, and use a Google-certified CMP platform. Use CookieScript, a Google-certified CMP, integrated with IAB’s TCF, which offers a fully customizable and configurable Cookie Banner and records all user consents.

How to choose a Consent Management Platform for gaming publishers?

A Google-certified Consent Management Platform must have these options: be a Google-certified CMP platform, inform users about their data collection and processing activities and purposes, offer a choice for granular consent, and record granular consent. CookieScript is a Google-certified CMP, integrated with IAB’s TCF, which has all the above-mentioned functionalities, offers fully customizable and configurable Cookie Banner, and much more.

What is the best Consent Management Platform (CMP)?

There is not a single answer to this question since different users could have different preferences. Meanwhile, CookieScript is one of the best CMPs, which is a Google-certified CMP platform, offers a wide range of functionalities and customization for your cookie banner.