The Guardian reported that Google Inc will be dealing with a class-action suit filed by a New York mother over purportedly unauthorized charges for in-app game money. Llana Imber-Gluck had filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and said that Google deceptively led her child to spend $68.95 on the "Crystal" virtual currency in the Marvel Run Jump Smash! game without her knowledge or permission.
Berger & Montague's Shanon J. Carson, who is representing Imber-Gluck, said, "Google has unfairly profited by marketing free or low-cost games to children and by permitting them to easily rack up charges for worthless in-game currency, by failing to incorporate reasonable controls such as simply requiring the entry of a password."
The UK newspaper explained that the Google Play store requires account holders to attach a payment method for purchasing future content like games, music, movies and books, even though if the content are at most times, fee. Google by default reportedly requires account holders to enter a password to complete a transaction, but there is an option to opt out of it. If an accountholder made his first purchase on Google Play, his subsequent purchases may no longer require additional authentication, especially with in-app purchases within 30 minutes from the time the account holder her entered his password.
Carson noted that Google competitor had foresaw the implications of freemium games, or games that are offered for free but have add-ons like game money that comes with a cost. She said, "Google is certainly aware that its primary competitor, Apple, has taken steps to end this unfair practice, and Google should do the same."
Edwin J. Kilpela, Jr of Del Sole Cavanaugh Stroyd, who also represents Imber-Gluck in the class-action suit, said "A company of Google's size and sophistication either is or should be aware that it is permitting unauthorized charges by minor children. We look forward to vindicating the rights of consumers victimized by Google's policies in this regard."
