Child-directed ad network settings
Review the app-level child-directed designation configuration and mixed audience user-level designations appropriate to your app.
Read time 3 minutesLast updated 5 hours ago
Child-directed ad network settings allow you to manage contextual ad settings for your app in a single place. Child data laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act COPPA impose restrictions on how data can be collected and used from children, as defined by each applicable child data law. Unity Ads provides tools to help publishers provide a safe and positive user experience. Accordingly, each Unity Ads-enabled app must specify whether their app targets children. This article will guide you through configuring the right setting for your app based on your target audience. To view and edit your app’s privacy settings on the Unity Monetization Dashboard, follow these steps:
- Go to Monetization > Apps, then select the app you want to review privacy settings for. The app settings page for this specific app opens.
- Select the Monetization tab > Child-directed ad network settings to set the app-level and user-level designations of your app.
App-level child-directed designation
This setting applies a single app-wide designation. There are two options:- This app is not primarily targeted to children as defined by applicable laws means the app does not fall under applicable child data law age restrictions, and can therefore serve behavioral (targeted) ads to all users.
- This app is primarily targeting children as defined by applicable laws means the app falls under applicable child data law age restrictions, and can therefore only serve contextual (non-targeted) ads to all users. Note that this designation permits you to enable user-specific age designations solely for apps you also designate as mixed audience apps.
Mixed audience apps
If your app is directed to children, select This app is primarily targeting children as defined by applicable laws. A conditional field displays for you to specify if your app is a mixed audience app that targets both children and adults. Mixed audience apps allow you to pass individualized designations for each user to determine whether they fall under applicable child data law restrictions.User-level age statuses
An app-level designation should be sufficient, however, apps with mixed audiences have one additional configuration choice. To enable user-specific age designations:
- Present your users with an "age gate" in order to determine whether individual users meet the applicable age threshold.
- Implement code to send the age gate value to your mediator/network of choice in the manner directed by your mediator or network.
- If needed, enable the user-level designation feature inside LevelPlay mediation or your in-house mediation so that the mediation platform passes the appropriate age gate value along to Unity.
- Set the App-level age designation to This app is primarily targeting children as defined by applicable laws.
- Set Is this a Mixed Audience App? to Yes.
Code implementation
You must pass Unity Ads user-level age designations programmatically by using theuser.nonbehavioral MetaDataMetaDataSupported platforms
The following integrations currently support user-level age designation in Unity Ads:- Unity LevelPlay
- Unity Ads (exclusive non-mediated)
- Self-mediated (using a custom mediation adapter)
- AppLovin MAX
Default behavior for unknown users
Default behavior refers to the baseline behavior of ads served in your app when a user-level age designation is absent. Unity Ads will default to treating users as children and only serve contextual ads when a user-level age designation is absent. The default behavior is relevant only for Mixed Audience applications, and cannot be independently altered.Child-directed ad network settings reference
Refer to the following table to determine the behavior results of your Child-directed ad network settings:App-level designation | Mixed audience app? | Contextual ads control | End-user behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directed to children under the age of 13 | No | Not available | Unity treats all users as under the age of 13 and only serves contextual ads. |
| Directed to children under the age of 13 | Yes | Not available | Unity receives user-level designations. Users designated as 13 and older receive personalized ads, but all other users (including those with unknown designations) are treated as children and receive only contextual ads. |
| Not directed to children under the age of 13 | Not available | Show contextual ads only | Even though the app isn't directed at users under the age of 13, all users only receive contextual ads. |
| Not directed to children under the age of 13 | Not available | Allow personalized ads | All users are treated as 13 or older, and might receive personalized ads. |