Can't pass rejection related to a dependency on Play Store

Question

I got an old game which got rejected automatically since I didn't update it. After updating according to all errors, the only error I got left is about a dependency I had before of Fabric Crashlytics. I decided to remove completely everything related to it. I removed all usages and dependencies of it. I made sure there's nothing left in the project related to it. But I keep getting this rejection:

Issue found: Violation of User Data policy We reviewed SDKs used by your app and found noncompliant version(s) of SDK(s) which collects persistent device identifiers. Persistent device identifiers may not be linked to other personal and sensitive user data or resettable device identifiers. Issue details Version code 4: SDK: Fabric io.fabric.sdk.android:fabric (consider upgrading to version com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics:18.4.0) To bring your app into compliance, follow these steps: You may consider upgrading to a policy-compliant version of this SDK, if available from your SDK provider or removing the SDK. Fabric io.fabric.sdk.android:fabric: Consider upgrading to version com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics:18.4.0 of the SDK.

I also tried the following:

• Made sure when I create a new release there isn't an additional old bundle in the release the has this dependency.
• Ran " ​./gradlew android:dependencies" To make sure there isn't a dependency that uses that uses that fabric.
• I even tried adding com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics:18.4.0 to my dependencies even though I don't use it in the game.
• Ran ./gradlew clean to make sure it is clean.
• Rebuilt the project.
• Used Android Studio's "Dependency Inspector" to make sure there's no Fabric.
• Searched manually for "fabric" and "crashlytics". Found only in .gitignore a line that had the word "crashlytics". Removed it.
• Used latest Android Studio version.
• Did invalidate caches and restart.

Any idea how to fix that? Thanks

Answer 1

Eventually it was really because of an old APK file with version code 4. For some reason, even though I paused all tracks and the dashboard displayed all of them as empty, Google still kept on rejecting because of that particular internal test. What I did eventually is to create a new release in that test track using the same up to date AAB I already uploaded, and apparently that overrided the old one there (there's no other way to delete the old one). I don't understand why the testing tracks are still considered even after I paused them and they appear as inactive. Thanks for the heads up regarding that version code.