Introducing Oculus Data Use Checkup

Maintaining a safe, thriving developer ecosystem is critical to Facebook’s mission of giving people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Protecting people’s data is a responsibility we take very seriously and share with all developers on our platform. We know user privacy is just as important to our developer community as it is to us.

Last year, Facebook announced its settlement with the FTC and a new framework⁠ for protecting people’s privacy and the information they choose to share. Oculus is owned by Facebook and is one of Facebook’s apps and technologies. Being part of Facebook means that we’re able to integrate with their systems to offer social experiences to our users⁠ and benefit from their safety and privacy tools and programs.

Along with Facebook⁠, today we’re announcing Data Use Checkup, a new certification process for Oculus developers to ensure their access to platform features and data use comply with the Oculus Developer Data Use Policy.

With this new process, developers will be required to complete Data Use Checkup if they request access to Oculus User Data via Oculus Platform features, including: User ID, User Profile, Avatars, Deep Linking, Friends, Invites, Matchmaking, In-App Purchase, and Parties. If your app does not use any of these platform features, you do not need to complete Data Use Checkup. Any app updates that request access to new or additional Oculus Platform features will need to complete Data Use Checkup.

Starting on November 15, 2020, we’ll gradually roll out Data Use Checkup to developers of applications that currently access these platform features. Once your application is enrolled, you will have 90 days to complete Data Use Checkup and pass our internal review or your app will be removed from the Oculus Store. After the app’s access is approved, you will need to renew the certification once a year. Developers who have not completed Data Use Checkup by October 1, 2021 for apps requesting access to Oculus platform features will have their access revoked.

However, developers do not need to wait to be enrolled in Data Use Checkup and can certify starting Thursday, October 8, 2020. More information on how to complete Data Use Checkup is now available.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we build a safer platform.