Apple Adds In-App Purchase Warning to ‘Freemium’ Apps

After facing a class-action lawsuit over in-app purchases within App Store apps, The Guardian reports that Apple has now begun posting a notice within the App Store for ‘Freemium’ titles warning about in-app purchases before users decide to download the app.

The disclosure only exists in iTunes on desktop computers, however, and is not present when purchasing apps on iOS devices. As such, it’s unclear how much leverage the notice will give them in future lawsuits. It’s a step in the right direction for Apple – but I still cannot help but think that Apple shouldn’t be responsible when children go on in-app spending sprees (1, 2).

Perhaps parents should monitor their children’s activities, and take some responsibility for the actions of their kids? Then again, that would require some actual parenting…

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.