Troubleshooting Google Play Publishing: Addressing Missing AD_ID Permission with AppsFlyer Integration

Question

I've encountered an issue while publishing an update for my app on Google Play. I integrated the AppsFlyer tracking service, this SDK automatically adds the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission through manifest merging. Additionally, I have declared the Advertising ID in the app content section of Google Play.

However, when I attempt to upload the AAB file, Google indicates that this permission is not detected in the manifest, and as a result, the Advertising ID will be replaced with zeros in the production environment. This issue leads to AppsFlyer categorizing all installs as organic in the app, despite them being non-organic according to the AppsFlyer console.

(I add screenshot 1 and screenshot 2 and manifest translation for beter understanding) (Screenshot Translation:)

Error

The Ad ID declaration available in the Play Console declares that it is used in your app. However, the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission is missing from the manifest file of one of the active objects.

If you don't add the permission, the ad ID will be replaced with a string of zeros. This can disrupt ad display and statistics collection, as well as cause loss of revenue. Read more...

To prevent such error messages from appearing again, update the Ad ID declaration.

In Android 13 apps (API level 33) that do not have AD_ID resolution, the ad ID will be replaced with a string of zeros. This may affect ad display and statistics.

I've tried decompiling the AAB file, and the permission is indeed present. I also attempted to manually declare this permission in the manifest within my source code, but the issue persists.