AppStore submission rejected, PLA 3.3.12. iOS Advertising Identifier is used but no ad functionality

chotgor1 · February 2014

One of my game is rejected with following reason. I used the free version/account to build this one, so I am not sure how to remove the iOS Advertising Identifier from the binary. Any help/idea? (I have since then purchased pro, but not sure when and how the pro features will be enabled, so that I can actually add iAd on the app.)

Binary Rejected
Reasons

Program License Agreement
PLA 3.3.12

We found your app uses the iOS Advertising Identifier but does not include ad functionality. This does not comply with the terms of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement, as required by the App Store Review Guidelines.

Specifically, section 3.3.12 of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement states:

"You and Your Applications (and any third party with whom you have contracted to serve advertising) may use the Advertising Identifier, and any information obtained through the use of the Advertising Identifier, only for the purpose of serving advertising. If a user resets the Advertising Identifier, then You agree not to combine, correlate, link or otherwise associate, either directly or indirectly, the prior Advertising Identifier and any derived information with the reset Advertising Identifier."

Please check your code - including any third-party libraries - to remove any instances of:

class: ASIdentifierManager
selector: advertisingIdentifier
framework: AdSupport.framework

If you are planning to incorporate ads in a future version, please remove the Advertising Identifier from your app until you have included ad functionality.

To help locate the Advertising Identifier, use the “nm” tool. For information on the “nm” tool, open a terminal window and enter, “man nm.”

If you do not have access to the libraries source, you may be able to search the compiled binary using the "strings" or "otool" command line tools. The "strings" tool lists the methods that the library calls, and "otool -ov" will list the Objective-C class structures and their defined methods. These techniques can help you narrow down where the problematic code resides.

jonmulcahy · February 2014

submit a bug report

Desi · February 2014

I have the same problem yesterday, even if I am a pro GS user.

I also don't know what Apple means with this and where I can find *iOS Advertising Identifier*, I always make my apps without any advertisement, always on the same way, and now my apps are all reject after a simple update????

3 days ago many of my apps who get an update are published well at Itunes, but after yesterday the other apps are all reject!

I don't know how to fix this...or what it even means, Apple write to me the same story as above.

neoman · February 2014

submit a bug report

@chotgor1 @Desias Guys as per jonmulcahy post ... Log a support case so GS can investigate the issue.

Desi · February 2014

I have submitted a bug report on 1 febr., but I didn't get an answer back.
I am a pro member, usually people get after 1 day an answer I thought, am I wrong?
I send it again...is there a delay maybe?

Thanks to anyone who answer my question.

matarua · February 2014

Two hypothetical guesses...

1. This is all down to everything being bundled in at build maybe - something that has caused GameSalad a lot of grief lately but thankfully all the Android false virus warnings have been addressed. Even if you don't use advertising channels they are in your game but do not show to the user. This may force the issue where things have to change.

2. GameSalad did mention that their CS response at the end of January would be minimal as they were at a conference so perhaps there is a backlog to get through.

Not sure sorry! Maybe some staff or a moderator can help out there.

quantumsheep · February 2014

I'd like to mention one of my iPad games was rejected for the same reason.

The strange thing is, I submitted three iPad apps for an update on the same day - and only one was rejected.

Hoping it's fixed asap!

QS =D

921creative · February 2014

Just curious...are everyone's apps getting rejected right now? Because this was also my rejection reason. Sent a support request 2 days ago (I'm a Pro) but no response from GS team.

Desi · February 2014

Quantumsheep, that's right, the other app the next day who has also an update, was submitted to the app store.
Some apps rejected and other apps are good to submit.
And they made all in the same way??? Very strange....

I think that the GS team does not know how to fix this asap, so therefore anyone didn't get an answer back

I think we must wait for an GS update.

Or If anyone get a response from the GS team, let us know please!
Share the solution.

Thanks!

ajsheahan · February 2014

Same thing hear, we had two get rejected for the same reason…argh!

quantumsheep · February 2014

This is mentioned in the latest 'state of gamesalad post' - they're working on a fix

luislopezcom · February 2014

Same problem here, with every Ad option unckecked in the Service Configuration of the Gamesalad Publishing page. Looks like Apple suddenly change their rules and lots of developers are stuck here.
In case it helps, here´s recent quick solution for Unity

Please help soon!

BlackCloakGS · February 2014

we are woking on a fix hope to have it out soon

alexanderdoubleu · February 2014

@quantumsheep @johnmulcahy…the same thing happened to me…does this mean I need to wait for a new game salad update to send my game back in?

quantumsheep · February 2014

@quantumsheep @johnmulcahy…the same thing happened to me…does this mean I need to wait for a new game salad update to send my game back in?

It's what *I'm* doing

*sits*

*waits*

*plays the banjo*

j75 · February 2014

*stands*

*peers aimlessly into the mac*

*wears out mouse by clicking refresh over and over*

*doesn't have a banjo*

luislopezcom · February 2014

*refresh*
*refresh*

thanks!

guilleface · February 2014

is it safe to publish now?

neoman · February 2014

FYI This might help someone. If your app has ads in it it is ok ... It will get approved. I uploaded an app with iAds as a test and it got approved today ... Apple only rejects apps with the iOS Advertising Identifier but no ads ... I used the stable version of GS not the nightly. From what I understand when you package an app all the web options you see on the app portal are in it except some of them are not active if you don't use the feature. For example if you package an app and NOT select ads for example the code is there but it is not active if you select the option then it will be active ... It is like when you don't select a feature it is turned off and when you selected it is turned on ... Hope that makes sense ... Cheers ;-)

SUMinteractive · February 2014

FYI This might help someone. If your app has ads in it it is ok ... It will get approved. I uploaded an app with iAds as a test and it got approved today ... Apple only rejects apps with the iOS Advertising Identifier but no ads ... I used the stable version of GS not the nightly. From what I understand when you package an app all the web options you see on the app portal are in it except some of them are not active if you don't use the feature. For example if you package an app and NOT select ads for example the code is there but it is not active if you select the option then it will be active ... It is like when you don't select a feature it is turned off and when you selected it is turned on ... Hope that makes sense ... Cheers ;-)

Right but if you do not want ADs in your app you are hosed at the moment. Waiting for GS to fix it. Until then we cannot publish to iTunes

luislopezcom · February 2014

Does anyone know any way of editing the code in the app package in order to remove manually the
class: ASIdentifierManager
selector: advertisingIdentifier
framework: AdSupport.framework

??

thanks

hemant.sharma@cgt.co.in · February 2014

I am using chartboost SDK in my unity3D engine. I am not getting any help from chartboost help community. I am not understanding now that this issue (iAd rejection) is now regarding to chartboost integration or is it bug from Unity iteself. Please help because we are at the submission of the app and getting already very late.

liuxz · February 2014

I'm a Professional Edition users.

I did not add any advertising and services.

But my application was rejected last night.
It took me a lot of time. May I ask how is it?
You probably how long it takes to fix this bug?
I am very anxious.
Apple rejected the following reasons:
Reasons

Program License Agreement
PLA 3.3.12

We found your app uses the iOS Advertising Identifier but does not include ad functionality. This does not comply with the terms of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement, as required by the App Store Review Guidelines.

Specifically, section 3.3.12 of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement states:

"You and Your Applications (and any third party with whom you have contracted to serve advertising) may use the Advertising Identifier, and any information obtained through the use of the Advertising Identifier, only for the purpose of serving advertising. If a user resets the Advertising Identifier, then You agree not to combine, correlate, link or otherwise associate, either directly or indirectly, the prior Advertising Identifier and any derived information with the reset Advertising Identifier."

Note: iAd does not use the AdSupport framework, ASIdentifierManager, or the Advertising Identifier. Therefore they are not required for iAd implementations and should not be included in your app for iAd support.

Please check your code - including any third-party libraries - to remove any instances of:

class: ASIdentifierManager
selector: advertisingIdentifier
framework: AdSupport.framework

If you are planning to incorporate ads in a future version, please remove the Advertising Identifier from your app until you have included ad functionality.

To help locate the Advertising Identifier, use the “nm” tool. For information on the “nm” tool, open a terminal window and enter, “man nm.”

If you do not have access to the libraries' source, you may be able to search the compiled binary using the "strings" or "otool" command line tools. The "strings" tool lists the methods that the library calls, and "otool -ov" will list the Objective-C class structures and their defined methods. These techniques can help you narrow down where the problematic code resides.

liuxz · February 2014

The first problem to solve it, is not a little the other way?

Supersonic9120 · February 2014

Hey guys,

My app was also rejected due to this same reason. Was looking to have some sort of response by now since this was brought up 12 days ago.

Any ideas??

Really looking forward to a fix. This is a huge problem. Multiple apps are being rejected even with just iAD.

hybrid · February 2014

my app was rejected today because of that too

iamcartez · February 2014

My app just got rejected for the same reason. My first app rejection. b-(

jorkos · February 2014

This absolutely should be the top priority at GS right now....I hope it is. The inability to upload apps is a critical fault of the system and should be highest priority in my opinion.

I would suggest that GS QA should always be submitting app updates with Apple to flag these kinds of errors as quickly as possible.

gotyours · February 2014

ANy news on this issues yet- i have 2 more apps waiting for review and i would guess they will get the big reject if this is not fixed- I wonder what the delay is on the GS side to fix this-

jdigioia · February 2014

Yeah @codewizard just responded to us about it on the SoGS thread - he said they have a fix in testing for it and the big issue was building more versions of the engine binaries and he believes it is nearing completion...lets hope, we are in the same boat waiting on a fix!

LearnIT · February 2014

Has this been fixed yet? My apps are still being rejected for PLA 3.3.12 and
class: ASIdentifierManager
selector: advertisingIdentifier
framework: AdSupport.framework

AppStore submission rejected, PLA 3.3.12. iOS Advertising Identifier is used but no ad functionality

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