--- title: Privacy - iOS (classic) description: Learn how Contentsquare deals with Personal Data and related APIs lastUpdated: 07 April 2026 source_url: html: https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/privacy/ md: https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/privacy/index.md --- > Documentation index: https://docs.contentsquare.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. The latest CSQ SDK is here! Learn how to [upgrade your app](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/csq-sdk-ios/experience-analytics/upgrade-from-cs-sdk/). Customers ("Customer(s)", "you," or "your"), as app developers and/or publishers, shall ensure compliance with applicable data privacy laws and regulatory guidelines while using Contentsquare SDK for your app. This section explains the data processing involved in the use of Contentsquare SDK and provides information to help you comply with data protection laws, including the GDPR, e-privacy directive, and the [French Data Protection authority (CNIL) guidelines on mobile applications ↗](https://www.cnil.fr/sites/cnil/files/2025-05/recommendation-mobiles-app.pdf). This section is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you are not sure of how to comply with data protection laws that apply to you, refer to legal counsel. To learn about Contentsquare privacy practices, see our [Privacy Center ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/) and [Privacy Policy ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/privacy-policy/). ## Purpose of processing and categories of personal data collected Here is the list of categories of personal data Contentsquare collects by default that are part of our [privacy manifests](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/privacy/#privacy-manifest). All collected personal data listed below is linked to the end-user via the [Contentsquare User ID](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/privacy/#contentsquare-user-id) we generate. Warning The Contentsquare SDK provides features that allow you to send to Contentsquare additional types of personal data (such as username, email address, customer ID, account number): [Dynamic variables](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/track-dynamic-variables/), [Custom variables](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/track-custom-variables/), [User identifier](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/session-replay/#send-user-identifier), [Screen names](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/track-screens/), [Session Replay (unmasking elements)](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/session-replay/#personal-data-masking). If you decide to use these features to collect new types of personal data or use already collected data but for a different purpose, it is up to you to describe these privacy practices in your app manifest. | Categories | Data type | Purposes | | - | - | - | | Identifiers | User ID | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance | | Usage Data | Product Interaction such as touch gestures (taps, swipes), user journey (pages visited), time of engagement, or transactions | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance | | Usage Data | Other usage data (any other data about end-user activity in the app) | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance | | Other Data types | Other Data types (technical data, any other data inputted by customers in the dynamic variables, data used as part of the Session Replay feature where applicable) | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance | | Diagnostics | Crashes, such as crash logs | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance (only when you use the [Error Analysis module](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/error-analysis/)) | | Diagnostics | Performance data, such as launch time, freeze rate, or energy use | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance (only when you use the [Error Analysis module](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/error-analysis/) | | Diagnostics | Other diagnostic data (any other data collected for the purposes of measuring technical diagnostics related to the app) | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance (only when you use the [Error Analysis module](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/error-analysis/) | | Search History | Information about searches performed by an end-user in the app | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance (only when you use the [Session Replay module](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/session-replay/)) | | Purchase History | Transaction data about an end-user (such as order reference, amount, bought items) | Analytics - using personal data from end-users interacting with your app, for analyzing their digital behavior and visualizing their journey to improve digital user experience and your app performance | See how the data types and purposes are reflected in the [privacy manifest ↗](https://github.com/ContentSquare/CS_iOS_SDK/blob/master/ContentsquareModuleWrapper/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy). Note Contentsquare is not designed to collect sensitive personal data (such as health, financial, or racial data). It is your responsibility to prevent any sensitive data from being sent to Contentsquare. If you accidentally send sensitive data, contact your customer success manager to immediately delete them from Contentsquare servers. ## User Identifiers ### Contentsquare User ID The SDK generates a randomized hash unique user ID (UUID) that is specific to each end-user on a given device. Contentsquare cannot identify an end-user across devices with this UUID. This UUID is not persisted when the app is deleted and re-installed. The SDK generates a new UUID after install or re-install. ### IDFA Contentsquare does not collect the IDFA (Advertising ID) or any other ads-related personal data of the end-user since the Contentsquare SDK is not linked with Third-Party Data (as defined by Apple) for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes, nor shared with a data broker. ## Data retention and storage location ### Data retention By default, end-users personal data are kept for 13 months. The retention of end-users personal data collected via the Session Replay is customizable by customers, from 3 to 24 months. ### Storage location End-users personal data are stored in Europe or in the US, depending on your location. For more details on applicable hosting locations, refer to our [subprocessors list ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/subprocessors/). ## Informing your End-User The Contentsquare SDK collects end-user's personal data on your app. As a data controller, app developers, or app publishers, it is your responsibility to provide appropriate information to your end-users on how their personal data is handled when using the CSQ SDK, for example via a privacy policy or cookie banner. Contentsquare provides a sample [description of the services ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/sample-cookie-description/) (including Experience Analytics and Product Analytics) to help customers meet their transparency obligations. This description is for information only and is not legal advice. ## Handling User Consent Contentsquare collects usage data on your app. **By default, the SDK will consider every new user to be opted-out.** To start tracking, the SDK [Opt-in API](#opt-in) must be called. You are responsible for handling the UI asking end-users for their consent and allowing them to manage their privacy settings. Use the following APIs to pass the user decision to the Contentsquare SDK. Note If data protection laws that apply to you do not require end-user consent for your app, discuss it during implementation with your Contentsquare contact (as this would go against Apple Privacy guidelines). ### Opt-in Use the Opt-in API to get end-user consent. Calling this API will generate a user ID and initiate tracking. * Swift ```swift Contentsquare.optIn() ``` * Objective-C ```objective-c [Contentsquare optIn]; ``` ### Opt-Out When this API is called, tracking stops immediately, all settings are reset (session number, page number) and all files and directory including personal data collected via the SDK created by Contentsquare are deleted. This means that the user ID is deleted. The SDK will never track and collect any data from the user's phone unless the Opt-in API is called again. * Swift ```swift Contentsquare.optOut() ``` * Objective-C ```objective-c [Contentsquare optOut]; ``` ### Handling your end-user's data subject requests In case Contentsquare receives a request from an individual that identifies as an end-user of your app, Contentsquare will promptly refer such individual directly to you, as the data controller and will support you with any means available to resolve such request. Contentsquare has launched a portal for managing data subject requests to its customers respond to data subjects within the legal deadlines. Therefore, you can forward any data subject request (such as data deletion or data access request) you receive to Contentsquare via this Data Subject Portal at [https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/data-subject-request-portal/ ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/data-subject-request-portal/). ### Get your end-user's Contentsquare User ID Since Contentsquare SDK does not collect by default any directly identifiable personal data about your end-user, we cannot help you respond to an end-user's data subject request without their Contentsquare User ID. Use this API to get the Contentsquare User ID of your end-user and forward the end-user's data subject request (such as data deletion or data access request) via Contentsquare's [portal ↗](https://contentsquare.com/privacy-center/data-subject-request-portal/). * Swift ```swift Contentsquare.userID() ``` * Objective-C ```objective-c [Contentsquare userID]; ``` Note You are able to get an ID only if the user is not Opted-out. ### Pause / Resume Tracking To completely stop data collection of your end-users of your app, use the pause and resume tracking APIs. When `stop/pause` is called, the Contentsquare SDK pauses all tracking (Analytics, Session Replay, Errors) of your end-users. When `resume` is called, the Contentsquare SDK resumes all tracking (Analytics, Session Replay, Errors) and starts collecting your end-users personal data again with the same Contentsquare user ID. * Swift ```swift Contentsquare.stopTracking() // ... Contentsquare.resumeTracking() ``` * Objective-C ```objective-c [Contentsquare stopTracking]; // ... [Contentsquare resumeTracking]; ``` Note As this mechanism pauses the tracking, make sure that you call resume once your user exits the sensitive screen. Best practice would be to link these method calls to lifecycle events on UIView/UIViewControllers. ### Forget me Deprecated This API is deprecated as of SDK version 4.28.0. Use Opt-out API to delete all files and settings, including end-users personal data collected via the Contentsquare SDK, and call Opt-in API on next app launch if tracking needs to resume. **Permanently breaking the link between the collected data and actual user.** This resets all settings and deletes all files and directories, including personal data collected via the Contentsquare SDK, from the end-user's device (that is Contentsquare User ID and all related personal data is deleted). If the end-user is opted in to be tracked by the Contentsquare SDK, next time the end-user starts the app, the SDK will re-start its collection mechanisms as if this was the first ever run for a new end-user, under a new Contentsquare User ID. Configurations will be fetched from the server and application tracking will be on. Note 'Forget me' only works when user is opted in. * Swift ```swift Contentsquare.forgetMe() ``` * Objective-C ```objective-c [Contentsquare forgetMe]; ``` ## Disable user tracking across sessions If you don't want to link the different sessions of an end-user to the same Contentsquare User ID, follow these instructions to reset the Contentsquare User ID at each app start: 1. [Disable SDK auto-start](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/track-screens/#manual-start) 2. Implement the following: ```swift func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) { Contentsquare.start() Contentsquare.optOut() Contentsquare.optIn() // ... } ``` Starting the SDK manually using `start()` will ensure that opt-out is called right after the start of the SDK (no event tracked in between). Calling `optOut()` will delete the previous Contentsquare User ID. Calling `optIn()` will set a new one. Note If you are monitoring the network requests, you may see event requests being sent at app start. This is expected as there may be events from the previous session that haven't been sent yet. The [opt-out API](#opt-out) makes sure to send all end-user's personal data stored locally before stopping the tracking and wiping all data. ### Session Replay personal data masking mechanisms As part of Session Replay capabilities, Contentsquare provides masking mechanisms to prevent unwanted end-user's personal data from the Session Replay module from being transmitted to Contentsquare. See [Session Replay Personal data masking](https://docs.contentsquare.com/en/ios/session-replay/#personal-data-masking) for more information. ## App Store Privacy Guidelines Compliance As customer app developers, it is your responsibility to comply with the [App Store Privacy guidelines ↗](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#privacy). ### Privacy manifest The Contentsquare SDK includes a [privacy manifest ↗](https://github.com/ContentSquare/CS_iOS_SDK/blob/master/ContentsquareModuleWrapper/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) describing the types of end-users personal data collected, the purpose of processing and the reasons for using APIs. [See Apple's website for more information ↗](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/app-privacy-details/). ### Tracking and App Tracking Transparency (ATT) App Store (Apple) requests App developers to receive end-users' permission to track them or access Advertising ID using the [AppTrackingTransparency framework ↗](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apptrackingtransparency) (ATT). **It is not required to ask for end-users' permission through the ATT when using Contentsquare, as it does not fall under the** ["tracking" definition of Apple ↗](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/app-privacy-details/#user-tracking). The data collected by the Contentsquare SDK is not linked with Third-Party Data (as defined by Apple) for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes, nor shared with a data broker.