Amazon will have to repay parents millions – all because of in-app purchases their children made.
Last year in the US, a federal district court decided that Amazon was responsible for “unauthorised” downloads – allowing parents to seek refunds from the tech giant.
According to a press release from the Federal Trade Commission, “more than $70m [€66m] in in-app charges made between November 2011 and May 2016 may be eligible for refunds”.
Court documents show that some children would make purchases without understanding that they were using real money.
For example, a game called Ice Age Village allowed children to use free “acorns” or “coins” as currency but were also able to purchase more of them with actual money in a scene that was “visually similar” to the free exchange.
Amazon has already agreed not to fight the ruling and details about obtaining a refund should be announced shortly. It initially tried to offer reimbursement in the form of gift cards – although this was rejected by the court.
Parents have long complained that it was too easy for children to make purchases while playing games.
In January, Amazon also made headlines after a 6-year-old accidentally ordered a dollhouse and cookies through her family’s Amazon Echo without her parents’ permission.
