Google faces lawsuit over $66 app bill run up by child
A class action lawsuit has been launched against Google by a US parent over claims relating to her child racking up a $65.95 bill through charges for in-app services.
Court: Google is facing a lawsuit
The suit was filed by New York mother Llana Imber-Gluck after her child ran up the bill in a Marvel Run Jump Smash! game without her knowledge.
According to the legal firm pursuing the case, Berger & Montague, the Google Play store requires users to register a payment method on their accounts even if services are available for free. The process means that within 30 minutes of an app being downloaded there is no requirement for a password to be entered for further transactions, meaning children can pay for in-app services without any prompt for permission.
Shanon J. Carson or Berger & Montague said: “Google has unfairly profited by marketing free or low-cost games to children and by permitting them to easily rack up charges for worthless in-game currency, by failing to incorporate reasonable controls such as simply requiring the entry of a password.”
Berger & Montague represented parents in a similar case worth around $100m against Apple in 2011.