This lawsuit makes about as much sense as suing Amazon.com because you left your browser open and someone, whether a child or not, bought stuff with your account. There should never be a circumstance where a child has a password for buying anything. They can buy R-rated movies or explicit music with that same password too. Maybe there aren't a lot of kids doing that but it's just another example of why letting your kids have that kind of power is just irresponsible.
The system is not perfect and there is a very compelling reason - money. I have an iTunes account. My wife and I have iPhones. My kids have ipod touches. We have an iPad. Because of the way Apple lets you share apps we all use the same account (If I buy a game, everybody else in my family can download it for free. If we separate the accounts everybody has to pay individually). What would make it perfect would be if apple allowed members of a family account to download free, or more importantly, previously bought apps using their own sub account.
You can use multiple accounts on iOS devices so you could still share apps. Wouldn't be quite as easy? unless they are all sync'd from the same Mac in which case it really would be simple.
Incidentally as others have pointed out, you can turn off In-app purchasing in settings.
Far be it from me to suggest Americans have and more of their rights taken away from them, but at this point, would it really be such a bad idea to require a license to be a parent? You know, like a marriage license is required to get married.. Only, the parent license will test you to make sure you're not just flooding the population with another mouth-breathing moron that'll screw up the system for the rest of us?
Seriously though.. If you don't take the time to understand that giving a child an adults device without using or even looking into parental controls could have undesired effects then it's your own fault. Suing Apple is a short term solution to a long term problem; bad parenting. Educate yourself before you go giving your kids a device that you have no idea what it's capable of.
Wow, so Apple has built in parental controls that allow users to block in-app purchases, but this schlep is either too stupid or too lazy to configure them. And now that Darling has downloaded 200 smacks worth of in-game upgrades, what to do!?! I know, let's sue Apple, because after all, they'll settle before going to court, right?
And, no, Restrictions isn't a new feature. These "parental controls" have been around since 2007, and disabling in-app purchases since Apple began allowing them.
Don't blame Apple, the game makers or anyone else for these purchases when you clearly don't know how to use the device!
The best part is that the restrictions access code can be different from both your unlock code and iTunes password. This lawsuit has no legs and the fact that Apple now requires a password for in app purchases (even though they already provided a means of disabling them) means that they are attentive to the needs of the their customers and not negligent like the lawsuit alleges.
You want us to believe that a 12 year old - or even a 9 year old - wouldn't understand that when something says "Buy this for $x" that it would actually cost money?
You seem to be the only commenter in this thread capable of reading comprehension. +1 to you for recognizing the 15 minute window being the problem, and now being fixed.
I'll say the same thing to you that I said to him.
Before accusing others of not reading (comprehending) an article, perhaps you should read it better first. It quite clearly says in the article, quoting the lawsuit itself
Quote:
"Because the passwords now required for purchases of Game Currency are the same passwords required for any Apple purchase, minors aware of such password may purchase Game Currency without authorization from their parents for that purchase," the lawsuit reads.
Tthey are suing over the current system that requires entering the password for in-app purchases. Which means they are suing Apple because they gave their child a password tied to their credit card account. They are either suing over their own poor parenting skills or they staged the whole thing (their child making in app purchases) so they could sue Apple. It's been clearly shown in this thread that there is in fact a mechanism in place already to block in app purchases.
[QUOTE=jb510;1848423]You seem to be the only commenter in this thread capable of reading comprehension. +1 to you for recognizing the 15 minute window being the problem, and now being fixed.
um, no... the "problem" has been fixed, and in fact was changed late last year. The "problem" as it's being called was in fact a "feature" that Apple enabled because whiners were complaining that they, OMG had to actually enter their iTunes passwords multiple times to make multiple purchases. Apple should have ignored such lame cry babies in the first place.
It's ridiculous that patents are even doin this. Do they not know that you can actually block in-app purchases right in the settings in the restrictions?? They can do that and put their own different password on it. RIDICULOUS!!
The best part is that the restrictions access code can be different from both your unlock code and iTunes password. This lawsuit has no legs and the fact that Apple now requires a password for in app purchases (even though they already provided a means of disabling them) means that they are attentive to the needs of the their customers and not negligent like the lawsuit alleges.
It's ridiculous that patents are even doin this. Do they not know that you can actually block in-app purchases right in the settings in the restrictions?? They can do that and put their own different password on it. RIDICULOUS!!
anyone smart enough to file a lawsuit is also smart enough to at least take a look at the parental control settings. They quite clearly are just doing this for the money. Nothing more than attempted theft.
So his daughter racked up $200 in unauthorized app purchases he could have prevented with some parental oversight. His solution? Sue a corporation that will rack up God knows how much in lawyers fees!?
I downloaded City Story for free and played a little - as I went along there were notifications when I earned fake game money for tasks I completed to spend on fake stuff in the game. Then one popped up and it was honestly completely unclear to me (as a grown adult with my own credit card!) whether it was asking for real money or pretend money.
Lucky for me I did a quick google search and learned to disable that option but at the time it really felt like I almost got robbed. I gotta go with the Dad on this one. It's a scam. I could see idiots knowingly paying to speed up the progress in something like City Story but cmon - the Smurfs!?!?!
It's tempting to blame bad parenting but I gave up blaming parents for anything the day I go my own kids. Parenting is complicated and everybody has issues of one sort or another. It would be a very sensible move for Apple to offer the holder of an iTunes account the option of a secondary password for in app purchases.
Bullshit. I have 2 girls that are 3 and 5 1/2. The 3 year old may be too young to understand, but my oldest knows that if she is playing w/the iPad and there is something she wants, she has to ask us. She knows she isn't allowed to buy anything herself, in or out of game. Not explaining and enforcing rules on your children does not explain the need for a class action lawsuit. Some people need to take some fucking personal responsibility.
it's called parenting for a reason?not babysitting, not having a pet...etc.
imo most 'parents' aren't up to the task. in fact, i'd wager to say that most adults are only barely capable of going to work, using their smart phones, and watching t.v.
expecting them to go beyond that is really asking a lot.
I downloaded City Story for free and played a little - as I went along there were notifications when I earned fake game money for tasks I completed to spend on fake stuff in the game. Then one popped up and it was honestly completely unclear to me (as a grown adult with my own credit card!) whether it was asking for real money or pretend money.
Lucky for me I did a quick google search and learned to disable that option but at the time it really felt like I almost got robbed. I gotta go with the Dad on this one. It's a scam. I could see idiots knowingly paying to speed up the progress in something like City Story but cmon - the Smurfs!?!?!
the prompt to put in your iTunes password tells you there is clearly a difference. If you don't want your child to use your credit card, you don't give them your iTunes password that is tied to the credit card.
The lawsuit is over the iTunes password being the same for an in App purchase as it is for every other purchase it can be used for when there already is an alternate password that can be used to block in-app purchases.
I noticed that they do not sue the actual game developers. THEY are the ones who might be practicing "deceptive" practices. To my mind this shows they are not serious. They lawyers are lazy. If they were serious they would name all this game developers in the suit. It would have a much greater effect on the problem if the smaller pocket-ed developers had to defend against this practice. But they clearly just want to go for what they see as easy money.
2-
Apple is responsible for all the apps they post? OK So if you buy a phone from Amazon, and the telco overcharges you, then you should sue Amazon?
3-
So you give your Amazon account number to your kid and they go and buy $2000 in new toys. You want to sue Amazon? Gimme a break!
Comments
The system is not perfect and there is a very compelling reason - money. I have an iTunes account. My wife and I have iPhones. My kids have ipod touches. We have an iPad. Because of the way Apple lets you share apps we all use the same account (If I buy a game, everybody else in my family can download it for free. If we separate the accounts everybody has to pay individually). What would make it perfect would be if apple allowed members of a family account to download free, or more importantly, previously bought apps using their own sub account.
You can use multiple accounts on iOS devices so you could still share apps. Wouldn't be quite as easy? unless they are all sync'd from the same Mac in which case it really would be simple.
Incidentally as others have pointed out, you can turn off In-app purchasing in settings.
Seriously though.. If you don't take the time to understand that giving a child an adults device without using or even looking into parental controls could have undesired effects then it's your own fault. Suing Apple is a short term solution to a long term problem; bad parenting. Educate yourself before you go giving your kids a device that you have no idea what it's capable of.
And, no, Restrictions isn't a new feature. These "parental controls" have been around since 2007, and disabling in-app purchases since Apple began allowing them.
Don't blame Apple, the game makers or anyone else for these purchases when you clearly don't know how to use the device!
The best part is that the restrictions access code can be different from both your unlock code and iTunes password. This lawsuit has no legs and the fact that Apple now requires a password for in app purchases (even though they already provided a means of disabling them) means that they are attentive to the needs of the their customers and not negligent like the lawsuit alleges.
I doubt the kids even realized it cost anything.
You want us to believe that a 12 year old - or even a 9 year old - wouldn't understand that when something says "Buy this for $x" that it would actually cost money?
You seem to be the only commenter in this thread capable of reading comprehension. +1 to you for recognizing the 15 minute window being the problem, and now being fixed.
I'll say the same thing to you that I said to him.
Before accusing others of not reading (comprehending) an article, perhaps you should read it better first. It quite clearly says in the article, quoting the lawsuit itself
"Because the passwords now required for purchases of Game Currency are the same passwords required for any Apple purchase, minors aware of such password may purchase Game Currency without authorization from their parents for that purchase," the lawsuit reads.
Tthey are suing over the current system that requires entering the password for in-app purchases. Which means they are suing Apple because they gave their child a password tied to their credit card account. They are either suing over their own poor parenting skills or they staged the whole thing (their child making in app purchases) so they could sue Apple. It's been clearly shown in this thread that there is in fact a mechanism in place already to block in app purchases.
um, no... the "problem" has been fixed, and in fact was changed late last year. The "problem" as it's being called was in fact a "feature" that Apple enabled because whiners were complaining that they, OMG had to actually enter their iTunes passwords multiple times to make multiple purchases. Apple should have ignored such lame cry babies in the first place.
They could have just done this:
The best part is that the restrictions access code can be different from both your unlock code and iTunes password. This lawsuit has no legs and the fact that Apple now requires a password for in app purchases (even though they already provided a means of disabling them) means that they are attentive to the needs of the their customers and not negligent like the lawsuit alleges.
Just like this. =>
It's ridiculous that patents are even doin this. Do they not know that you can actually block in-app purchases right in the settings in the restrictions?? They can do that and put their own different password on it. RIDICULOUS!!
anyone smart enough to file a lawsuit is also smart enough to at least take a look at the parental control settings. They quite clearly are just doing this for the money. Nothing more than attempted theft.
Lucky for me I did a quick google search and learned to disable that option but at the time it really felt like I almost got robbed. I gotta go with the Dad on this one. It's a scam. I could see idiots knowingly paying to speed up the progress in something like City Story but cmon - the Smurfs!?!?!
It's tempting to blame bad parenting but I gave up blaming parents for anything the day I go my own kids. Parenting is complicated and everybody has issues of one sort or another. It would be a very sensible move for Apple to offer the holder of an iTunes account the option of a secondary password for in app purchases.
Bullshit. I have 2 girls that are 3 and 5 1/2. The 3 year old may be too young to understand, but my oldest knows that if she is playing w/the iPad and there is something she wants, she has to ask us. She knows she isn't allowed to buy anything herself, in or out of game. Not explaining and enforcing rules on your children does not explain the need for a class action lawsuit. Some people need to take some fucking personal responsibility.
imo most 'parents' aren't up to the task. in fact, i'd wager to say that most adults are only barely capable of going to work, using their smart phones, and watching t.v.
expecting them to go beyond that is really asking a lot.
This will be summarily tossed out, the quicker the better. It's not like these judges have empty dockets.
I downloaded City Story for free and played a little - as I went along there were notifications when I earned fake game money for tasks I completed to spend on fake stuff in the game. Then one popped up and it was honestly completely unclear to me (as a grown adult with my own credit card!) whether it was asking for real money or pretend money.
Lucky for me I did a quick google search and learned to disable that option but at the time it really felt like I almost got robbed. I gotta go with the Dad on this one. It's a scam. I could see idiots knowingly paying to speed up the progress in something like City Story but cmon - the Smurfs!?!?!
the prompt to put in your iTunes password tells you there is clearly a difference. If you don't want your child to use your credit card, you don't give them your iTunes password that is tied to the credit card.
The lawsuit is over the iTunes password being the same for an in App purchase as it is for every other purchase it can be used for when there already is an alternate password that can be used to block in-app purchases.
I noticed that they do not sue the actual game developers. THEY are the ones who might be practicing "deceptive" practices. To my mind this shows they are not serious. They lawyers are lazy. If they were serious they would name all this game developers in the suit. It would have a much greater effect on the problem if the smaller pocket-ed developers had to defend against this practice. But they clearly just want to go for what they see as easy money.
2-
Apple is responsible for all the apps they post? OK So if you buy a phone from Amazon, and the telco overcharges you, then you should sue Amazon?
3-
So you give your Amazon account number to your kid and they go and buy $2000 in new toys. You want to sue Amazon? Gimme a break!