GDPR and Legacy Apps - What To Do?

DigiChain

I'm interested to hear how people plan to deal with their older apps with the new GDPR rules.

I have many legacy apps (particularly for iOS) which I'm not going to be able to update.
Some of these apps are 5-6 years old, built for much older devices and certainly not adaptable to the iPhoneX resolution. My plan is to just remove them from all stores worldwide and turn off ad serving within the Chartboost & Admob dashboards.

Its not a perfect solution as they'll still contain the old sdk's and be built with a non-compliant version of Gamesalad, but they will no longer be available for download on any store fronts.

How are others planning to deal with legacy apps??

Hopscotch

@DigiChain, your approach seems fine for legacy apps. I would just add a clause to your Privacy Policy on your web page, informing users what your legacy apps do, and if they choose to continue using them under the new regulations, then they accept the data collection within.

Making an effort to inform users of what is happening, and giving them a choice to act on, goes a long way in pacifying the current users.

Over zealous lawyers will only be policing apps currently available on the app stores.

DigiChain

@ Hopscotch - Thanks for your thoughts, and yes that's a good idea to update our Privacy Policies to acknowledge the legacy app situation.

One thought I had was to just update all legacy apps with a null project, essentially replacing the app with a single scene project stating that the app was currently unavailable due to new legisation and that we were working on an update.

This of course wouldn't please existing customers, but would sort out the compliance issue. I'm not sure whether apple would allow it through review though!

Hopscotch

@DigiChain nah, pretty sure Apple will NOT let it through.

Toque

So this only applies to the EU at the moment?

I would have to look how to remove apps only in the EU stores?

I’m guessing though these rules will make it to the other stores eventually.

Toque

I see in iTunes. You uncheck territory availability.

PhilipCC

@Toque said:
I see in iTunes. You uncheck territory availability.

Simple. Thanks for the tip. Each day I've meant to check it out how to go about it, but something else gets in the way.

pinkio75

HI i'm just a little bit confused about GDPR...

We need to update all existing apps before August 2018 with a new version of the Creator? or we need just update our privacy policy?

and Apple and Google will remove all the apps that no have an update with GDPR?

DigiChain

@pinkio75 - You need to update all versions of your apps by May 25th to be GDPR compliant.
GDPR only applies to apps used within the EU, so removing your apps from the EU stores is a partial workaround. However, if an app is downloaded outside of the EU and then used within the EU at a later date it is subject to GDPR regulations, therefore it would be wise to update all apps worldwide.

pinkio75

yes @DigiChain but we need to wait for a GS "GDPR" update or not?

Anyway i think that the app no compliant with GDPR will be removed from the store... right?

DigiChain

@pinkio75 - Yes you need to wait for the GS update. All of your current games are non-compliant.

No, I doubt Apple / Google will be removing non-compliant games. They would need to retest every game to check for privacy policy statements, opt-in / opt-out forms etc.
I think it is our responsibility to remove non-compliant games.

pinkio75

Google have remove some of my games in these day for the privacy policy... nothing news from Apple... i hope to have a GS creator soon as possible to update all my games...

Toque

Removing 20 apps from the EU today.

clee2005

Removing our apps from EU stores now as well. What a crazy scene... Google hasn't released an updated Admob SDK yet so there is little that can be done by us Devs... even less when you have to wait for the game platform to update their stuff first. Will be awhile before this all sorts out.

clee2005

@DigiChain said:
@pinkio75 - You need to update all versions of your apps by May 25th to be GDPR compliant.
GDPR only applies to apps used within the EU, so removing your apps from the EU stores is a partial workaround. However, if an app is downloaded outside of the EU and then used within the EU at a later date it is subject to GDPR regulations, therefore it would be wise to update all apps worldwide.

@DigiChain I'm not sure that removing worldwide is necessary. I've read somewhere (so many different opinions on the interpretation of this regulation) that it's about the targeted EU user. So if you have an app that is not directed at an EU user then it doesn't apply. Not having it in the EU stores I would think is clear enough that you aren't targeting EU users. I'm not a lawyer, but that's how I'm proceeding.

DigiChain

@clee2005 - Yeah what a mess it all is! It seem removal from just EU stores is what many are doing for now, and what I'll most likely do too. Hopefully we'll have a proper update and new ad sdks soon!

freneticz

Removed all EU on Appstore, but how to do it easy on GooglePlay.

DigiChain

@freneticz - In your Google Play console within each app goto Pricing & Distribution, here you can click Manage Countries and make them unavailable for the EU.

freneticz

@DigiChain said:
@freneticz - In your Google Play console within each app goto Pricing & Distribution, here you can click Manage Countries and make them unavailable for the EU.

But i cant find europe, do you need to uncheck every country in europe?

DigiChain

@freneticz Yeah, you'll need to do every country