14 DAY TRIAL // The latest update to Apple’s mobile operating system includes a new dialog/warning that tells users they can perform “additional” in-app purchases for the next 15 minutes without having to punch in their password again.
The move likely was prompted by the European Commission, which met up with Apple executives last month to discuss making in-app purchases more transparent to the public, in an attempt to keep kids away from the “buy” button.
Apple has been having a lot of trouble with the IAP feature, a business model that rakes in a lot of cash for the Cupertino giant and developers alike, sometimes at the expense of unwary customers.
“Children are particularly vulnerable to marketing of ‘free to download’ games which are not ‘free to play,’” the European Commission said last month. “Following complaints from all over Europe, the European Commission is meeting today and tomorrow (27 and 28 February) with national enforcement authorities and large tech companies in order to discuss these concerns,” the Commission said.
The group stressed that “Games should not contain direct exhortations to children to buy items in a game or to persuade an adult to buy items for them,” and that “[adults] should be adequately informed about the payment arrangements and purchases should not be debited through default settings without consumers’ explicit consent.”
Now Apple is complying with some of EU’s demands, which have been voiced in the US by the Federal Trade Commission.
In iOS 7.1, the In-App Purchase completion prompt now displays a message that states, “You can now make additional purchases in any app for the next 15 minutes without reentering your password. To change this, tap Settings and go to Restrictions.”
It may not sound like much of a precaution but this will save a lot of cash for parents who usually lend their iDevices to the kids to play with. Being aware that for the next 15 minutes your kid can spend a small fortune on Candy Crush gems is very important.
Also, Apple makes it clear that you can use the Restrictions option in Settings to require a password with every single in-app purchase made on that device, further thwarting any accidental purchases.
The new security measure is not documented in the release notes that accompanied iOS 7.1 on Monday. The update includes numerous tweaks and enhancements, including CarPlay support, Touch ID fixes, and more.