Google Sued Over Children's In-App Android Purchases 321
jfruh writes "Android apps sold through the Google Play app store require the user to enter their username and password before making an in-app purchase — but once they've done that, they can continue to do so for half an hour without re-authenticating. Now a lawsuit is claiming this loophole allows children to run up in-app purchases on their parents' credit cards, 'causing Google to pocket millions of dollars.'"
What about the parents? (Score:2, Informative)
Of course, parents can be held in no way responsible for handing their phone to their kids and having their credit card emptied. Same as when I hand my credit card to my kid, it's not my fault when my kid uses it to buy stuff online.
What are these people thinking?
Re: Please.... (Score:3, Informative)
Not sure where you read that, but Apple went through this exact problem several years ago . Kids spending literally hundreds of dollars because once mom entered the store password, they didn't need it again for 30 minutes. ...
After that , they NICELY refunded all those silly transactions and then made it require a password FOR EVERY PURCHASE.
If 7.1 gives a 15 minute window, that's brand new and backwards from their previous direction.
I'm on 7.0.6 now, requires a password for ALL purchases, even 10 seconds apart
Re:Please.... (Score:5, Informative)
Children can be more clever than non-parents expect.
Surely, you jest! This is Slashdot, where everybody except actual parents knows the proper way to raise children, and supervision means hovering over your child at all times, never bathing or using the restroom or cooking meals or sleeping.
I'm glad some commenters don't have children, although if they did, they wouldn't sound so high and mighty at times like this. Seriously, my six year old plays outside with neighborhood kids all the time and builds way cooler stuff with Legos than I did at his age, but having other recreational activities didn't stop him from getting his hands on my wife's phone for a few minutes earlier this week and spending $16 on in-app purchases before she stopped him. And that's all because we had the audacity to have an infant that needs more attention when we aren't rich enough to both stay home and hover over the children all day.
We're not going to be joining the class action lawsuit or anything, but it's tiresome to see armchair parents pretend like they could stop it happening. Like most of you we have a lot of devices around, and no matter how well you think you have everything locked down, all it takes is one mistake. This is the only time my son has "accidentally" spent money, and no matter where you want to lay the blame, consider this: if my wife had an iPhone, this wouldn't have happened. Is that really the response you think Google should give?
Re:Please.... (Score:5, Informative)
This is exactly the problem.
Current situation: Thank you for entering your password to authorize the purchase on screen. I will not bother to mention that you've also authorized unlimited additional purchases over the next half hour.
Bare minimum acceptable solution: Thank you for entering your password to authorize this purchase, as well as unlimited additional purchases for half an hour.
Slightly better: Please enter your password to authorize this purchase, as well as unlimited additional purchases for half an hour.
Good, and easy solution: Thank you for your purchase. Authorize additional purchases for the next (30 minutes | 24 hours | Forever | No thanks, ask for my password next time ).