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Maybe require all apps to have a built in spending limit and an affirmative act per app to raise it with a mandatory password prompt and click on an emailed lin

Maybe require all apps to have a built in spending limit and an affirmative act per app to raise it with a mandatory password prompt and click on an emailed link to verify. Make it up to $50 one time or greater than $100 in one calendar month. Given how people actually spend 99% of people will never see such a prompt and virtually everyone that hits it will be one of these people who is being scammed out of their money inadvertently by their kids. While we are at it we could simply ban all games designed to appeal to the scratch ticket mentality and nothing of value will have been lost.

CaptainZapp 6y ago
While that's a good idea it will never happen, since it's diametral to the interest of the app stores, which is to make as much money as possible. Of course, if the abuse gets too bad there will be regulatory backlash.
- apsanz 6y ago
  Which of course is the same reason why android and ios will never show you data on how often you use your phone and allow you to send less time on your phone... They don't want kids sending thousands of dollars. It is bad PR for pocket change for them. They already have options in the OS to prevent this. They just need to change the defaults and a few additional features.
  - occamschainsaw 6y ago
    Both iOS(Screen Time)[1] and Android(Digital Wellbeing)[2] show how much you use your phone and let you set limits for smartphone usage. 1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 2. https://wellbeing.google/ https://wellbeing.google/
    - michaelmrose 6y ago
      Is a reasonable spending limit set by default?
- benologist 6y ago
  It's not just the app stores. Facebook used to call it "friendly fraud" when they billed someone thousands because an obfuscated transaction occurred each time a kid pressed a button. > One deposition shows Facebook employees were reluctant to reduce this "friendly fraud" because it would likely also reduce the company's overall revenue. https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/01/25/facebook-turned-a-blind-eye-to-friendly-fraud-as-kids-racked-up-thousands-on-games/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/01/25/facebook-tu...

CaptainZapp 6y ago

While that's a good idea it will never happen, since it's diametral to the interest of the app stores, which is to make as much money as possible. Of course, if the abuse gets too bad there will be regulatory backlash.

apsanz 6y ago
Which of course is the same reason why android and ios will never show you data on how often you use your phone and allow you to send less time on your phone... They don't want kids sending thousands of dollars. It is bad PR for pocket change for them. They already have options in the OS to prevent this. They just need to change the defaults and a few additional features.
- occamschainsaw 6y ago
  Both iOS(Screen Time)[1] and Android(Digital Wellbeing)[2] show how much you use your phone and let you set limits for smartphone usage. 1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 2. https://wellbeing.google/ https://wellbeing.google/
  - michaelmrose 6y ago
    Is a reasonable spending limit set by default?
benologist 6y ago
It's not just the app stores. Facebook used to call it "friendly fraud" when they billed someone thousands because an obfuscated transaction occurred each time a kid pressed a button. > One deposition shows Facebook employees were reluctant to reduce this "friendly fraud" because it would likely also reduce the company's overall revenue. https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/01/25/facebook-turned-a-blind-eye-to-friendly-fraud-as-kids-racked-up-thousands-on-games/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/01/25/facebook-tu...