Spurred by today's Washington Post story about an 8-year-old D.C. area girl who racked up a $1,400 bill on the iPhone game Smurfs' Village, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine so-called "in-app sales."
In a letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, the Minnesota Democrat urged a review of oversight on billing practices where companies offer free-to-download applications for smartphones, and then charge for products and services once the application is launched – potentially by children.
"Consumers have the right to know the true cost of the products and services they are downloading on their smartphones, especially when it comes to applications and games that are geared towards children," wrote Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. "As with any new billing practice, there is always the potential for consumer confusion and bill shock, and 'in-app sales' are no exception." Smartphone billing now takes its place alongside a host of consumer issues Klobuchar has focused on in her first term, from defective swimming pools to accelerating Toyotas and salmonella poisoning in food.
