'Tattled'... Just love the language this site is using lately
Korean 'blog' owner who clearly has an agenda to promote Samsung. All we get now is leaks of Apple's corporate secrets and pro-Android BS.
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Apple Tattled on Google to Draw FTC Attention to Similar Kids In-App Purchasing Issue
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Korean 'blog' owner who clearly has an agenda to promote Samsung. All we get now is leaks of Apple's corporate secrets and pro-Android BS.
I think this is a government responsibility. How it applies to kids is important. Well, it doesn't have to be if the computer companies make it their job -- which it is. In-App Purchases were being used by some developers to upsell children. I can think of dozens of cases I've heard about that Dad opens the Apple card and sees little Kevin bought four more cases of magic dust from that game, and it's $150, the company has to fix that. You shouldn't have to give them a call to be safe from robbery.
No, it's dads responsibility to educate their children that it's not ok to buy in app purchases.
This is a type of a Regulatory Capture. Once your company has to follow extra rules you make sure the rule maker spending ALL his attention on you sees what everybody else is doing.
Then when you have paid your fine and engineered the rules approved solution you send now friendly helpful rules guy to visit your neighbors!
sorry what?
i will just respond to the second sentence since im not quite getting the rest but they werent asking questions.
focus on yourself, your products and doing what is best for your customers
Its ok for customers they need to abide by Terms of Service for in-app purchases, but doesn't apply for the company themselves ?
Sounds like our council saying "Customers are on water restrictions, but "WE" can do what the hell we like." Thus, makes it bad for customers because the government is using water but blames customers.
No wonder people like Apple.. They'll break their own customer-based terms, and give money back no matter what..
I still say, rules are made to be followed, seems Apple forgets that. This all could have been avoided if Apple just made a simple stand, and say "No, I'm not giving your money back, because Terms of Service for iTunes Store store says we can't."
What's the point of making rules, but Apple's going to to do what they want ?
Sounds like our council saying "Customers are on water restrictions, but "WE" can do what the hell we like."
Thus, makes it bad for customers because the government is using water but blames customers.No wonder people like Apple.. They'll break their own customer-based terms, and give money back no matter what..
I still say, rules are made to be followed, seems Apple forgets that. This all could have been avoided if Apple just made a simple stand, and say "No, I'm not giving your money back, because Terms of Service for iTunes Store store says we can't."
What's the point of making rules, but Apple's going to to do what they want ?
Or parens giving their kids something to play with the parent doesn't know how to use. It would be a shame if people had to take responsibility for their actions and the actions of the children they raise....
This is how it should be...
Apple wants it both. It just doesn't work that way... They have the 15 minute window, but in that window kids rank up $$$. What does Apple seriously expect from this anyway ??
At least iO8 Family sharing will solve this (part way), that's assuming they have it set up. Kids will turn it off unless password it set, also, i believe will be an issue. Stay tuned.
So, Apple, after giving parents such a hard time trying to get money back for spurious charges, finally admits it was targeting children by allowing in-App purchases without any warnings whatsoever. And then Apple whines to the FTC, "Google did it too. Google did it too." "Punish google too."
My kids were a victim of this, and though I am computer savvy, I had no idea that there was such a thing as in-App purchases, nor did I ever think that a company like Apple would stoop so low to target children this way. With a strongly worded letter to Apple, I was issued an immediate refund of about $1,000. And this was quite a few years ago. Once I learned about in-App purchases I immediately disabled it on all my family's devices.
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No, In-app purchases were never explained. You are wrong. Apple has a corporate responsibility not to hide things like in-App purchases. They have a responsibility to be a moral company, not one that targets children. As I said before, I am computer savvy, but I never, ever suspected that something like in_app purchases existed, and even more, never even thought that Apple would target children.
It is Apple's responsibility, if they are going to have in-App purchases to sell the device with this feature disabled. Apple loves to advertise all the great features about their phones, but never thought it was their responsibility to clearly notify consumers about in-App purchase except hidden on some small print on some page in the middle of their so-called terms and agreements that no one reads.
If this was a feature that was going to give them substantial revenue, they should have advertised in-App purchases rather than hide.
It would be a shame if corporations had to take responsibility for their actions, such as targeting children.
My kids were a victim of this, and though I am computer savvy, I had no idea that there was such a thing as in-App purchases, nor did I ever think that a company like Apple would stoop so low to target children this way. With a strongly worded letter to Apple, I was issued an immediate refund of about $1,000. And this was quite a few years ago. Once I learned about in-App purchases I immediately disabled it on all my family's devices.
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No, In-app purchases were never explained. You are wrong. Apple has a corporate responsibility not to hide things like in-App purchases. They have a responsibility to be a moral company, not one that targets children. As I said before, I am computer savvy, but I never, ever suspected that something like in_app purchases existed, and even more, never even thought that Apple would target children.
It is Apple's responsibility, if they are going to have in-App purchases to sell the device with this feature disabled. Apple loves to advertise all the great features about their phones, but never thought it was their responsibility to clearly notify consumers about in-App purchase except hidden on some small print on some page in the middle of their so-called terms and agreements that no one reads.
If this was a feature that was going to give them substantial revenue, they should have advertised in-App purchases rather than hide.
It would be a shame if corporations had to take responsibility for their actions, such as targeting children.
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So much focus here on the site using the word "tattled" and not enough on the issue at hand.
Apple did not need to do that, all the big players would have been hit eventually by the FTC, In fact, Google would likely have been next and Apple just looked petty doing what they did.
Apple did not need to do that, all the big players would have been hit eventually by the FTC, In fact, Google would likely have been next and Apple just looked petty doing what they did.
Classic Apple. Don't bother fixing the issue, instead say "See, they are no better than us!"
Apple fixed the issue in iOS 4.3 in early 2011 a couple months after the issue was reported.
Please provide a source where Apple informs users that they may make additional purchases for 15 minutes after authorizing the first purchase without the need to enter their password again.
A pre-trial source.
While the FTC hasn't targeted Google yet, a class action lawsuit was filed against them in March regarding this very issue. I'm interested to see what happens in the case.
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It's both. First, parents should educate their children, although children clearly don't always listen. Second, Apple, Google, and app-developers shouldn't have policies that almost appear as if they are targeting children. Depending on the state, or age of the child, etc., such practices could violate state or federal law.
The default should have been the no-window option. Then each iPhone user would have had to take the affirmative step of turning choosing a 15 or 30 minute window, or leaving it so they would have to re-type the password each time.
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It's both. First, parents should educate their children, although children clearly don't always listen. Second, Apple, Google, and app-developers shouldn't have policies that almost appear as if they are targeting children. Depending on the state, or age of the child, etc., such practices could violate state or federal law.
The default should have been the no-window option. Then each iPhone user would have had to take the affirmative step of turning choosing a 15 or 30 minute window, or leaving it so they would have to re-type the password each time.
I just read that the FTC is now suing Amazon for the same issue of in-app purchases made by minors.
It would be very strange indeed if Google wasn't held responsible too.
I wonder if those posting about the choice of words (tattling) would be as put off if it was used about Google "tattling" on Apple.
My guess is they wouldn't take issue with it.
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Please tell me your post is satire.
My guess is they wouldn't take issue with it.
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Please tell me your post is satire.
Never explained at all:
http://youtu.be/8-nG2SapLBw
Or if you are going to argue that was for developers, google "in app purchase 2009" and look at the coverage enabling this feature received.
It is also in the iOS 3.1 manual from September 2009: http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/0/MA616/en_US/iPhone_iOS3.1_User_Guide.pdf
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It is in this iOS 3.1 manual from September 2009 four times:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/0/MA616/en_US/iPhone_iOS3.1_User_Guide.pdf
Yes, that's the problem. It is hidden in the manual. No one reads the whole manual of every product they get. Apple was smart enough to advertise all the great features of the iPhone in all sorts of media, but in-App purchases, in which they have now basically admitted to targeting children, was hidden. In-app purchases is a major feature or the iPHone, and it was a money-making feature very important to Apple, yet they really never properly disclosed that they installed a conduit that would take money from unsuspecting parents as their kids innocently purchased items via the in-App method. Apple lost a lot of credibility because of this. As I stated, Apple has a corporate responsibility to remain on the moral ground, but to me they chose the surreptitious way of sneakily including in-app purchases. They know they were wrong because they immediately refunded approximately $1,000 of in-app purchases made by my children who had no idea that they were even purchasing anything. Not only was I disappointed in Apple, but so were my children. Not a good way for what is now the world's largest corporation to gain brand loyalty.
The clear explanations of in-app purchases, as it is an incoming stream of funds for Apple, needs to be in large print on the first page of all the literature. It should also be explained by the employees of the Apple store. When I purchased my first iPhones and iPads with my children, the Apple representative spent a lot of time helping explain how the phone worked. He never once mentioned anything about in-app purchases. In retrospect, I wonder why!
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You certainly have a laser-focused opinion of this issue! Reality is that the 15 minute window was a policy that existed for a decade without issue in iTunes. It was clearly spelled out in the manual.
It had nothing to do with Apple trying to target children. Unfortunately, when combined with IAPs in third-party apps for kids games, it had an unintended consequence. Apple fixed the issue within a couple months of it being reported and agreed to compensate the people that were impacted.
Who has a laser-focused opinion. People all around the world were complaining about hidden in-App purchases for years. It may have been an "unintended consequence," but Apple did not fix the issue in months, it actually took them quite a few years before they openly dealt with the issue. and that is good that they finally owned up. But during the time they didn't, a lot of people were hurt, and they lost many of their loyal fans. After I was a victim, I followed this issue for quite awhile.
I was compensated immediately, and I credit Apple for that. But there were complaints for years before this was taken care of. So, to me, Apple was targeting children, even if it was unintended at first. They loved the money coming in, and they relied on their lawyers to obfuscate the issues.
And they have basically admitted it. You can be an apologist for Apple loving everything this company does. But I am a realist, and Apple will not be the first company that threw its ethics in the gutter. I am glad they have picked themselves somewhat out of this gutter. They still make great products, but I will never be blind to corporate irresponsibility, even if its a company whose products I truly love.
Except what you said was not true as far as the timing. IAP was introduced with iOS 3 in June of 2009. The problems with unauthorized purchase by minors started to make larger news outlets in December 2010/January 2011. Apple released a fix for the issue in iOS 4.3 on March 9, 2011.
So, as I stated, you gave your kids something you didn't know how to use and then got upset when they use it as documented in the manual.
So, as I stated, you gave your kids something you didn't know how to use and then got upset when they use it as documented in the manual.
Hidden in the manual that most people don't fully read. And I have worked with computers for a long time.
Apple could have publically advertised that in-app purchases were turned on.
But they enjoyed the money stream. They enjoyed it so much that they hid this feature, while advertising all sorts of other features.
I realize that there are people who exist who worship Apple and will always defend them, and then blame the busy parents who didn't fully read one of many manuals they receive when a product is purchased. Well, it looks like governments and courts in many countries felt they were targeting children. So you lose, but you will keep on blaming the parents because Apple can do no wrong.
Roll Eyes!
Again, not hidden. It was in the manual 4 times.
Nothing was hidden. The feature existed in iTunes for almost a decade before it became an issue because of a new third-party use case.
You are the only one pushing this "Apple was targeting children" opinion. Not governments and courts. What governments and courts found was the same thing that Apple conceded in their settlement 3 years ago. Consumers are not liable for unauthorized purchases by a minor.
Apple accepted their part in the issue after it became apparent that it was a widespread problem. Promptly issued a fix, and refunded anyone that claim to be affected.
Before criticizing him/her, you should do your research. Other countries' FTC counterparts have alleged in-app purchases targeted children. The argument has been made in the United States also.
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