ironSource SDK implementations under the GDPR

Updated: January 8th, 2024

When and Why Consent is Required

There are two different legislations in the EU regulating when consent should be obtained from end-users. 

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The GDPR requires that a controller will establish a legal basis for processing personal data. ironSource’s ad network mostly relies on its legitimate interest to serve ads based on contextual parameters and interactions with our ads. We also use legitimate interest to detect and prevent fraud, and to share device identifiers with attribution companies, so advertisers can attribute to us app installs. 

Other ad networks, and DSPs connected to ironSource’s ad exchange (iSX), may serve, in addition to contextual ads, also ads based on the interests and characteristics of end users. Such ad networks, and DSPs would usually rely on consent as their legal basis. If you use LevelPlay, you can choose to communicate to such ad networks (if supported) the consent value, as explained below. 

Please note that the consent, and transparency requirements of the GDPR require you to name the controllers relying on the consent you obtain. Please see the list of ad networks that support our consent API below, and the list of DSPs connected to iSX here.

Privacy Directive

The ePrivacy Directive, as implemented by EU member states, generally requires consent to be obtained for the purpose of storing, accessing, or transmitting information from an end user’s device. The vast majority of ad networks, including ironSource’s ad network, rely on accessing certain device data in order to perform their basic functionalities. Accordingly, you must make sure that you properly obtain the end user consent for accessing and transmitting its device data prior to initializing any third party SDK, including LevelPlay, and ironSource ad network. If a consent is not obtained, you should not initialize the ironSource SDK.

Settings for Underaged Users

If you need to apply settings for underaged users, please refer to our Child Directed Apps article here.

Also, for Android devices, if necessary (for example, compliance with Google Play’s Designed for Families policy), please also read the following articles:

Android

Unity

Consent Support

ironSource SDK requires setting flags to specify if users in GDPR-compliant regions have granted consent before initializing the ironSource SDK.

Non TCF users: 

ironSource SDK introduced a client-side API to allow publishers to pass GDPR consent. Learn more Android | iOS | Unity.

When you report setConsent, the information will be shared with all the mediated networks that support consent APIs. Refer to the tables below for additional information on the mediated networks and adapter versions. 

TCF users:

Support for Google UMP and CMPs that support Google’s Additional Consent 

1. If you use Google UMP, complete the necessary configurations on the AdMob platform. Learn more here. 
2. If you are not using Google UMP, please refer to your CMP’s documentation for verifying support for Google’s Additional Consent and how to configure it.
3. Make sure that the following networks are included in Google’s Additional Consent: ironSource (“ironSource Mobile”), Unity, Vungle, Applovin and Chartboost.
4. Share the information with ironSource SDK.
   • Starting from ironSource SDK 7.7.0, GDPR consent from the Google UMP and CMPs that support Google’s Additional Consent, is automatically passed to the ironSource SDK and the networks listed in bullet #3 above, based on the consent provided in the Additional Consent. In this case, there is no need to take any further action. 
   • For older SDK versions, you’ll need to take additional efforts to share GDPR consent information with the ironSource SDK. Learn more here.

When using other CMPs

1. Set up your non-registered TCF networks within your CMP in line with their guidelines
2. Make sure to read the relevant information according to your CMP provider, the network consent management approach and pass the info to LevelPlay using the setConsent API Android | iOS | Unity.
3. All registered TCF vendors will receive the consent as part of the TCF protocol

Mediated networks consent support

Mediated networks adapter support for setConsent API