Thread by @reveal

1/ Sooooooo … Your kid racked up a $6,000 bill playing video games. Here’s what to do next.

revealnews.org/article/so-you…

2/ In the fall of 2011, Glynnis Bohannon found that her 12 year-old son Ian had unknowingly spent almost $1,000 dollars playing a game on Facebook called Ninja Saga.

3/ It was easy for Ian to make purchases in the game–there were no pop-ups or confirmations to slow down the spending and, as she watched him play, Glynnis observed that it didn’t even look like her son was spending money.

4/ Facebook knew that kids could unwittingly spend money on many gaming apps–employees called it “friendly fraud” and ignored simple solutions in order to turn a profit.

5/ If Glynnis’s story sounds familiar to you, here are some steps you can take:
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6/ Watch your child play the game. Do they need to enter a password or Touch ID to make a payment? Look out for features like in-game currency, or instances that ask players to spend money to move to the next level.

7/ Check reviews! A game’s rating can tell you a lot about its play practices. Game review sites like @PocketGamer are often the first to expose manipulative gaming tactics.

@PocketGamer 8/ Control the spending through your bank. Create credit card alerts that are synced to video games, set up a credit card exclusively for gameplay, or link the games to a pre-paid card with a spending limit.

@PocketGamer 9/ Talk to your kids about safe digital practices. Have a conversation about money and internet safety so they can start recognizing some of the signs themselves.

@PocketGamer 10/ If you think a game might be using deceptive techniques, report it to the FTC.

In states which have departments specifically for internet and technology issues, you can also report your concerns to the attorney general’s office.

ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

@PocketGamer 11/ Have you had an experience with unwanted charges on Facebook games? Find more tips and tell us your story here.

revealnews.org/article/so-you…

@PocketGamer 12/ Listen to the story:
revealnews.org/episodes/harpo…