CONSUMERS/INFORMATION SOCIETY : COMMON POSITION ON 'IN-APP' PURCHASES.

• Position: Applications

How many parents have bought games for smartphones for their children without being aware of it? On 27 February, national bodies for the protection of EU consumers adopted a common position to fight misleading practices in the apps (applications) sector.

There is a lot at stake: 80% of app providers' income stems from 'in-app' purchases, says the European Commission. The four principles that national authorities aim to apply to protect consumers are: 1. not making games look free when they are not; 2. not encouraging children to buy updates online; 3. not charging consumers without their explicit consent; and 4. a visible trader e-mail contact on sale sites.

Next, the aim is to obtain a formal commitment and then a precise agenda defined by the industry. To this end, stakeholders, members of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network and the European Commission, met in Brussels, on 27-28 February. Until a compromise is reached, the Commission will continue to monitor, along with national authorities, this segment of the market and take any measure it considers necessary.

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Consumers/Information societyCommon position on in-app' purchasesBy Nathalie SteiwerHow many parents have bought games for smartphones for their children without being aware of it? On 27 February, national bodies for the protection of EU consumers adopted a common position to fight misleading practices in the apps (applications) sector.AaThere is a lot...