We will be seeing a big shift in Google Play Store's Top Free Apps in Europe as the internet giant has agreed to stop labelling apps which include in-app purchases as 'Free'.
Many app developers have come under fire for marketing their apps as 'Free', whilst enticing users to make in-app purchases in order to move forward in a game or even 'pay to win'. One of the most recent controversial incidents concerned EA's free to download Dungeon Keeper mobile title, as its advertising was taken down for being misleading.
These re-occurring incidents have prompted the European Commission to release guidelines for the compliance of app stores and developers regarding games with in-app purchases. The statement says that games which are marketed as 'Free' should not mislead "about the true costs involved" and users should be properly informed about how the payments for purchases will be made. The EC is especially concerned about families with children which have been renowned for accidentally racking up bills through in-app purchases.
Google's new rule is in response to the European Commission's new policy, which will be in place by the end of September. The company will also be adding payment authorisation before each payment is made, specifically aimed at those developers which directly target children with in-app purchases.
The Android-owner will be devising new guidelines for developers and has been praised for the move. The change is set to take place in Europe but will also probably benefit Android users around the world. "We've been working closely with the European Commission and consumer protection agencies for the last few months to make improvements to Google Play that will be good for our users and provide better protections for children," Google said in a statement, reports Forbes.
Apple App Store – no firm commitment
Both Google and Apple have been asked to comply with the new rules, but Apple has still not committed to a solution and has come under fire for this. "Regrettably, no concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorisation," the Commission said in a press release. "Apple has proposed to address those concerns. However, no firm commitment and no timing have been provided for the implementation of such possible future changes."
In response, the Apple said that it "takes great pride in leading the industry in parental controls that are incredibly easy to use and help ensure a great experience for parents and children on the App Store." Apple added that that it is "always working to strengthen the protections we have in place, and we're adding great new features with iOS 8, such as Ask to Buy, giving parents even more control over what their kids can buy on the App Store."
For financially concerned iOS device users; you can set up parental controls to restrict in-app purchases by following instructions on this page.
