The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that it reached a settlement with Google related to an investigation into in-app purchases. The company will pay $19 million to parents whose children were able to make in-app purchases through Google Play without their parents’ permission. Google also agreed to make changes that require “express, informed consent” for in-app purchases.
“As more Americans embrace mobile technology, it’s vital to remind companies that time-tested consumer protections still apply,” stated FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, “including that consumers should not be charged for purchases they did not authorize.”
The mobile development industry has come to rely heavily on in-app purchases for revenue.
