OFT Cracks Down on In-app Purchases, Sets 1 April Deadline

In-app purchase Angry Birds mobile game KindleThe UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) given app developers a deadline of 1 April to ensure that their games do not breach consumer protection law regarding in-app purchases, or face possible enforcement action.

Following on from the investigation it launched last April, the OFT has published its final principles, which state that consumers should be told upfront about any costs associated with a game, in-game advertising, and – particularly relevant given this weeks revelations – whether their personal data is being shared with other parties for marketing purposes.

Under the rules, in-app payments made without the parents express, informed consent are also considered unauthorised.

“The online and apps-based games industry has already made significant improvements during our consultation process. But it still needs to do more to protect children and treat its customers fairly,” said OFT chief exec Clive Maxwell. “Our principles make clear the type of practices that games makers and platform operators should avoid.

“Parents and carers have an important role to help protect their child and their bank balance. Our advice is that parents check their device settings, play their childs games themselves and read the games description online. Parents will also be encouraged to report concerns to Citizens Advice.”

According to the OFT, 90 per cent of children aged 7-15 have played online games in the past six months, and half of those have spent money to keep playing at least once.