Google Play Content Rating Change Did you get one?

Hello

I just gor this message yesterday from google play

This is a notification that the minimum content level of your application, with package ID xxx, has been changed to Medium Maturity (3) by the Google Play Team after a regular review.

REASON FOR CONTENT LEVEL CHANGE: Violation of the Google Play content rating policy.

Please be advised that additional content rating modifications by the Google Play Team may result in administrative action, up to and including removal of subsequent applications in violation.

All violations are tracked. Serious or repeated violations of any nature will result in the termination of your developer account, and investigation and possible termination of related Google accounts.

We appreciate your contributions towards ensuring an accurate content rating experience for Google Play users.

The Google Play Team

The thing is I don’t have anything in my apps related to what they said the only thing I have is admob in my games apps. The one targeted is a little game for girls. So I was wondering if I’m the only one who got this message.

I have over 50 apps and only that one got that message but again I don’t have any of these https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/188189?hl=en in my apps.

Bobby

I just got a message from a friend who got an answer from google play and they told him that the problem was admob…If you have ads in your app using admob, you should have medium maturity… Wow are you serious?

Doesn’t admob have separate maturity setting (I don’t remember, it’s been some time since I have added new app there)? Maybe it was higher in admob than on Google Play in this case?

I got the same email from google. Google changed ratings my 2 apps to medium maturity. Typical apps for kids: no violence, no sex, nothing wrong in it. I’m using Mobilecore ad network. Now I changed ratings my all apps to medium maturity.
You can’t win with the google system :wink:

2 Others of my friend got this message now. I guess now you have 2 choices. Put all your app for medium maturity or play with the kind of ads who will appear in your apps. Hide everything related to what they are refering to: gambling, sex, hate, etc…

In Sensitive categories there are many categories which probably can make some trouble :confused: Especially for games targeted towards children. I guess their parents could report your app if they see some ads not suitable for kids.

I disabled ASAP:
Black Magic, Astrology & Esoteric
Cosmetic Procedures & Body Modification
Dating
References to Sex & Sexuality
Sexual & Reproductive Health

(especially those last two categories may be risky IMHO)

Report says they give me 3.8% of income, and 4.1% impressions. I hope instead of those ads admob will give me some other from inventory, so hopefuly there won’t be any difference in earnings at all.

As for maturity settings - anyone knows it changes game ranking or smth?

Maturity setting doesn’t really affect downloads, unless you’re targeting kids. It seems to only come into play with content filters for parents.
That’s what I’ve found anyway, so I would just set all apps to medium or above maturity if I were you.

I got notification 3 days ago about to changing my app maturity to medium. Then I got a msg from Google play yesterday about to changing the SAME app to low maturity.! Google play not messed up? If Google themselves are not sure which rating I should give, how can I? I hope that these are not 2 strikes already.

Plus why would they lower the maturity rate…

Hanfoosh which things in this url https://support.google.com/googlepla...r/188189?hl=en is a result of a low maturity for your app? Do you use admob?

I think that the best is to disable these sensitive category
Cosmetic Procedures & Body Modification
Dating
References to Sex & Sexuality
Sexual & Reproductive Health

For me it was only 6% of my total revenu. They will be replaced with others ads and in the end I guess I will not see any changes in my revenu.

Well here is the update guys
Initially Google play notified me that my app has gambling theme and set the maturity to medium. Well my app didn’t, it is a cards game like the game Spades.
So i emailed them and they said "we can’t advise you on future implementations! ! I know does not make sense but whatever.
Then I contacted admob thinking it is admob that had mature content. The person was helpful and informed me that it shouldn’t. They offered to contact Google play directly and ask them. Yesterday I see a notification saying that the rating of my app (same app) was changed to low maturity (level 2) and that it could be ads or content and that any future violations maybe result in suspensions. Admob comes back to me saying that Google play says it is gambling theme app and should be set at 3
Confused yet? Me tooo. So
1)is it maturity 2 of 3? Why in the first place? Admob, content?
2)they sent me 2 notifications of them changing their mind about the same app. Is that 2 strikes?
3)should I set the maturity of all my app to be 3 and be done with it?

You know I am very careful with apps and it’s all high quality app. If i get banned, then truly it is random!

Well, I guess Google is now trying to act very smart by making their store much more competitive than Apple’s iTunes at the start its like they have taken bulk of apps no matter what they are getting and once they gained enough presence cutting the apps down to make everything look like more clean.

Well I really think that the problem is the sensitive category…If you want to use sensitive category like I mentionned, you should increase the maturiy of your apps. I have a few friends right now who got the same message with apps who dosen’t have anything to do with that https://support.google.com/googlepla...r/188189?hl=en but they all use admob. So it means that the problem is really the ads displayed in our apps.

Google should be really clear with that cuz we don’t know exactly again what to do.

Hope to have a real good answer soon.

Amazon is more clear in that Point, because in their Content Rating area, “contains ads” is a distinct Point which you can check and depending on that info, THEY decide what your Rating is. The much better Approach than the “always guessing, what Google wants” Approach of the Play store :slight_smile:

PS: omg … ie has some Auto correction going on … unfort. on Firefox there is a script Looping error or something so I cannot use it atm … who cares … lets Train your eyes/Brains :slight_smile:

I’ve recently received one of these notifications and some days ago another notification about one of my games that i hadn’t updated in months for having a not compliant SDK. Should i be worried?

Regarding content rating Google says “These guidelines apply to all content in your app, including user generated content, in-app products, and advertisements.” I’ve seen Clash of Clans ads lots of times on my games and it’s rated medium maturity so according to Google if your app is less than medium maturity you’re violating their policies. What would you do?

No need to worry any more. My account has been terminated :frowning: