Over the last year, a number of cases have been reported where
children have unwittingly racked up huge bills while playing web
and app-based games that are free to download. The bills came from
expensive "in-app purchases" of content such as upgraded
membership and virtual currency, which is how many of the
top-selling apps make money. In a recent example, a 13-year old boy
from Somerset spent £3,700 on chests of virtual gold coins
and other game-enhancing content.
Last month, the Office
of Fair Trading (OFT) launched an investigation into the way
web- and app-based games manufacturers market their products to
children. The investigation will discuss whether such games
may be in breach of The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading
Regulations 2008, which prohibit "including in an
advertisement a direct exhortation to children to buy advertised
products or persuade their parents or other adults to buy
advertised products for them". The latter practice is
more
