UK gov’t looks at in-app purchases aimed at kids

A United Kingdom government department has launched an investigation into in-app purchases aimed at children. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is attempting to find out if the methods used by developers to encourage children into performing the purchases are “misleading, commercially aggressive, or otherwise unfair.”

The OFT is seeking input from parents and wants to know if in-app purchases in games contravene a 2008 law that makes it illegal for products to ask kids directly for money.