Apple Tattled on Google to Draw FTC Attention to Similar Kids In-App Purchasing Issue

[madsci954]

Do you even know what you said? Why should able be treated differently from Google? Why do they have more responsibility? Why are you, someone with access to information, even saying this?

Yeah, I said a joke. Chill, bro.

 

[kdarling]

The situations were not really the same at all.

iOS

1. Parent used password to install kid's app, handed device to kid.
2. Unbeknownst to the parent, in-app purchases were ALSO enabled for the next 15 minutes.
3. Child piled up hundreds of dollars in purchases, which Apple waited to aggregate and sometime later send in a receipt to the parent. (In my case, I continued to get receipts for several days after the 15 minutes was up.)

Android

1. Parent used password to install kid's app, handed device to kid.
2. Kid hits an in-app purchase. Parent has to enter password AGAIN.
3. Unless the parent had turned on a 30 minute timeout, the password was required for EACH in app purchase.
4. Unlike with Apple, each purchase immediately triggered a receipt email, so even if the password timeout was enabled, the parent stood a chance of knowing.

 

[zipa]

I still don't see why this is a government issue.

Because the customer rights agencies are run by the governement.

 

[ineedamac]

Or, parents can be parents and be responsible for their children and not depend on an iOS devices to be a babysitter. Just saying....

Besides if little Johnny downloads $5 worth of in-app purchases without permission then his parents should use it as a lesson to teach and have Johnny pay for the downloads buy doing chores around the house. Then again, that goes back to my first point.

 

[skinned66]

Today I learned that asking why you're beholden to the edicts of a regulatory body that others are not is "tattling."

 

[Dave.UK]

Imagine how different most of the replies in this thread would have been if the title was :

"Google Tattles on Apple to Draw FTC Attention to Similar Kids In-App Purchasing Issue"

 

[iChrist]

.
Classic Apple. Don't bother fixing the issue, instead say "See, they are no better than us!"

 

[Felix01]

@ "Google has thus far not been targeted by the FTC."

Wonder if it has anything to do with Google having a very robust and well-funded political action group targeting a great deal of money to the 'right' politicians?

 

[numlock]

Today I learned that asking why you're beholden to the edicts of a regulatory body that others are not is "tattling."

a) who said they werent? and b) is that apples role?

 

[William Gates]

I still don't see why this is a government issue. Its was clearly in the settings to disable the 30 minute window after entering a password. Apple should refund them because its the right thing to do, but I don't see why the government should be getting involved.

I've had it happen to me twice (both times before the FTC got involved) and both times Apple refunded my money promptly. I don't see why it's such a huge issue, certainly don't see why it was big enough for the government to get involved.

 

[rhett7660]

I agree. But Tim Cook does not publicly acknowledge Android to be even close to existing on the same playing field.

And the same can be said about google. So moot point.

 

[mw360]

Imagine how different most of the replies in this thread would have been if the title was :

"Google Tattles on Apple to Draw FTC Attention to Similar Kids In-App Purchasing Issue"

They would have been exactly the same but with different usernames.

 

[Reason077]

'Tattled'... Just love the language this site is using lately

Nobody likes a tell-tale tattler!!

If I was Google I'd be arranging to meet Apple behind the bike sheds after school, to settle this proper like.

Apple, you'd better show up. If not, you're dead.

 

[FloatingBones]

'Tattled'... Just love the language this site is using lately

Yes, it is a strange word to use -- especially because the article cited used no such language. How about "reported" or "informed"?

 

[linuxcooldude]

As a parent I would be careful on how I let a child use my phone or tablet. These are now sophisticated payment devices. They could have access to banking payments, email, passwords. Just as I would not let them play with my wallet.

 

[apersona]

Should at least consider the possibility that it was a Google agent in DC that drew the FTC's attention to this issue with Apple.

Google spends at least 4 times as much as Apple in DC and the whole point of lobbying is to gain advantage in the marketplace by enlisting the force of government regulators in your behalf.

 

[mw360]

Or, parents can be parents and be responsible for their children and not depend on an iOS devices to be a babysitter. Just saying....

Or forum posters can be forum posters and post glib, one line sermons on topics they know nothing about.

 

[ineedamac]

Or forum posters can be forum posters and post glib, one line sermons on topics they know nothing about.

You assume I know nothing about this? I've been there with the increased charges. We handled it within the family and did not cry to Apple or some government entity because our child racked up charges on a device we bought and provided them.

 

[kdarling]

As a parent I would be careful on how I let a child use my phone or tablet. These are now sophisticated payment devices. They could have access to banking payments, email, passwords. Just as I would not let them play with my wallet.

Yet another good reason why family oriented devices should include multiple user profiles, or at the least, an easy to turn on kid's mode.

Should at least consider the possibility that it was a Google agent in DC that drew the FTC's attention to this issue with Apple.

Yeah, it couldn't possibly have been some of the 28 million iTunes customers that Apple said they had to contact about refunds after the FTC order.

 

[ineedamac]

Yet another good reason why family oriented devices should include multiple user profiles, or at the least, an easy to turn on kid's mode.

A kids mode where the parent can restrict internet, mail, apps, etc would be great. Then the parent can decide what the kid can handle.

 

[Flood123]

Snitches get stitches.

 

[mw360]

You assume I know nothing about this? I've been there with the increased charges. We handled it within the family and did not cry to Apple or some government entity because our child racked up charges on a device we bought and provided them.

You know nothing about all of the individual circumstances in all the other families leading up to this. It doesn't matter what happened to you. Some people have had bills in the thousands, which can easily happen even if you are watching a child like a hawk. Some people have had bills run up by kids too young to reason with. Its not parenting skills at fault, its the perfectly reasonable lack of technological knowledge on the part of the parents. Remember barely anyone, perhaps possibly no-one outside of dedicated forums like this, knew about the 15 minute window.

 

[joshwenke]

Dat iOS 6 tho.

 

[herr_neumann]

FTC blames Apple for people not supervising their children. Crotch-fruit entitlement much?

 

[Dave.UK]

You know nothing about all of the individual circumstances in all the other families leading up to this. It doesn't matter what happened to you. Some people have had bills in the thousands, which can easily happen even if you are watching a child like a hawk. Some people have had bills run up by kids too young to reason with. Its not parenting skills at fault, its the perfectly reasonable lack of technological knowledge on the part of the parents. Remember barely anyone, perhaps possibly no-one outside of dedicated forums like this, knew about the 15 minute window.

Utter rubbish. If your watching your child "like a hawk" and they still run up huge costs, then I would question the parenting skills.