As parents, we're always on the lookout for ways to keep our kids safe and entertained while using their mobile devices. But what happens when a seemingly harmless app turns out to be a financial nightmare? One mother learned this lesson the hard way after her twin seven-year-olds racked up a whopping $3,000 bill playing a popular game without her knowledge.
Paula Marner's story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of in-app purchases. Her sons, Elias and Malachy, downloaded and played Clash of Clans on their family's Apple devices while she was away, unaware that the game allowed for real-money transactions. "It was not fraudulent activity or criminal activity," Marner explained, "but my seven-year-old sons who were playing a game while I was gone."
The game, one of the top-grossing iTunes apps of all time, offers in-app purchases that can range from 99 cents to $99. The boys didn't know any better and kept tapping the purchase prompts, thinking they were just getting more virtual goodies. Their mom, equally unaware, didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she checked her credit card statement.
Protecting Yourself
Don't let this happen to you! Here are some tips to secure your mobile devices from inadvertent in-app purchases:
Mobile Game Development: A Parent's Warning About In-App Purchases
As parents, we're always on the lookout for ways to keep our kids safe and entertained while using their mobile devices. But what happens when a seemingly harmless app turns out to be a financial nightmare? One mother learned this lesson the hard way after her twin seven-year-olds racked up a whopping $3,000 bill playing a popular game without her knowledge.
Paula Marner's story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of in-app purchases. Her sons, Elias and Malachy, downloaded and played Clash of Clans on their family's Apple devices while she was away, unaware that the game allowed for real-money transactions. "It was not fraudulent activity or criminal activity," Marner explained, "but my seven-year-old sons who were playing a game while I was gone."
The game, one of the top-grossing iTunes apps of all time, offers in-app purchases that can range from 99 cents to $99. The boys didn't know any better and kept tapping the purchase prompts, thinking they were just getting more virtual goodies. Their mom, equally unaware, didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until she checked her credit card statement.
What's Behind In-App Purchases?
According to technology law expert David Fewer, some app makers may be banking on parents who are too busy to bother with complaints. "The $3,000, $5,000, $10,000 bills, people are really going to complain about that when they show up, because it's pretty noticeable on your credit card statement," he said.
But what happens when the bill is smaller? Fewer explained that parents may do a cost-benefit calculation and decide not to bother complaining. "Is it worth my time to complain about this, or should I just pay it and tell my kid not to do that again?"
The Impact on Mobile Game Development
For app developers like Levin Mejia from St. John's, in-app purchases can be a lucrative business model. However, some argue that targeting children is wrong. "There are a lot of in-app or app developers who are taking advantage of in-app purchases, banking on the fact that kids are going to be given an iPad and the parental permissions won't be set out correctly," Mejia said.
Marner's experience has left her feeling frustrated and wanting change. She believes Apple should crack down on game-makers and disable in-app purchasing on their devices. While she isn't part of a $100-million US class-action lawsuit over in-app practices, she hopes that her story will raise awareness about the importance of parental controls.
With mobile game development continuing to evolve, it's essential for parents to stay vigilant and ensure that their children are using apps responsibly. By setting up parental controls and monitoring in-app purchases, we can help prevent financial shocks like Marner's and keep our kids safe while they're having fun online.