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Is sending game statistics to the server allowed by Apple?


bymafmaf
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Guys, my game which is written with Phaser is almost ready. In game I produce random data. In order to improve user experience it should send data to my server which only includes highest score, game time, game score, random data.

 

I'm gonna release it on App Store but I don't want to wait 2 weeks and get rejected. So, does anyone know sending such data ,which doesnt contain user id or something, is allowed or not? If so, is user's consent needed?

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If you're tracking the user then I suspect there will be guidelines, how strict they are I'm not sure. If you're generating a unique hash for user (it might even count per session) and then posting data keyed against that hash then that is tracking and I suspect Apple will at least need to know what you are tracking and I'm pretty sure even in-app you'd need user consent although I suspect that is tied in when your app is downloaded. I play many games that track my progress etc and none of them have explicitly asked to track and keep my data so it is likely implied by downloading.

 

As for sending non-tracked bits of data, I dont think Apple care, or anyone else.

 

How are you planning on packaging it for the App Store?

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Actually if it's possible to track with a hash without explicitly asking for consent I'll do it. Because I don't really want to ask privacy thingy in a game.. Implying by download, how is it done? In app description, or some kind of permission asking while downloading?

 

I'm using phonegap and it's doing a pretty good job. But I really really don't recommend to use cordova engine directly. They are not that different but I did same things with both and while phonegap works bug-free, cordova is always creating some errors.

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I'm just guessing I'm afraid, I'm kinda assuming it would follow along with the law on cookies, which I think only applies if you actually store data against a hash, and I dont think it matters if you have anything that could be identifying, just that youre tracking is enough.

 

 

 

Tell your users what kinds of data you collect and whom you share it with. The standard EULA or a link to your privacy policy may legally be all you need and sadly, even Apple says it’s good enough (see 3.3.10 above). But let’s be honest: we all know nobody reads the fine print. Add a section to the settings screen in your app where you tell users in clear and candid language what stats you collect. Make clear where and by whom the data is stored if you use a third-party analytics service.

 

That comes from this source, its a little old now but seems to clarify some of the terms, but it all is very wooly.

 

I've just looked through some of my apps that I know are tracking, in their app store page their is a link to their license agreement and the privacy policy as top-level items. So that covers it.

 

It's up to you whether you want to be more up-front than that. I'd say for anonymized hashes then it is unnecessary (others may well disagree and it would depend exactly what you are tracking even if anonymous) but for anything more personal then the app should make it very clear (I'd say that includes email, certainly name, possibly location depending on granularity).

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