Another day, another lawsuit. Garen Meguerian of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, has filed a class-action lawsuit takes issue with free iPhone games that feature in-app purchases, alleging that Apple’s App Store makes it easy for children to rack up credit card charges without realizing they are spending real-world money, reports “AppleInsider” (http://www.appleinsider.com).
He purportedly filed the suit this week on behalf of himself and other parents and guardians who incurred unauthorized charges for game-related content. Those transactions came from children playing games on iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and making in-app transactions to purchase virtual goods, notes “AppleInsider.”
The lawsuit doesn’t note that Apple has addressed the issue by requiring a password for in-app purchases. Before, once users entered their password to download an application, iOS offered a 15-minute window during which additional purchases could be made without entering the password.
However, Meguerian believes that Apple’s previous policy allowed the company to “pocket millions of dollars” from unauthorized transactions, says “AppleInsider.” And even the revised password policy found in iOS 4.3 isn’t enough, he says.