App publishers: Here’s a way to minimize ad revenue loss from GDPR

The mobile apps industry, especially companies based in the EU, have watched General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) draw closer over the last two years. With such lead time, did the industry meet Friday’s deadline? Based on my conversations over the past month with 30-plus mobile publishers, advertisers, and SDK partners, it appears that they’ve implemented solutions to the most complicated requirements i.e. enabling a user to obtain all personal data collected by the service and its partners. However, many of these publishers have not been proactive with Article 8. This requirement, which is in fact quite similar to COPPA, prohibits collecting and processing data on users below the age of consent (typically 13) without verified parental consent.

Here, just as with COPPA, it seems that the majority of publishers are going to rely on the reasoning “we’re not sure if we have any users that are minors as we have no reliable way to determine user age.” A solution is especially important to me, as my social enterprise focuses on quality and safe kids screen time.