FTC Could Be Eyeing Google Over In-App Purchases, Thanks To Apple

It wasn’t too long ago that Apple landed themselves in a spot of trouble over in-app purchases, something which they were quick to correct and even offered refunds to parents whose kids might have gone on a wild spending spree due to the lack of controls in place. Now the iTunes App Store isn’t the only app store that allows in-app purchases.

Other app stores, such as the Google Play Store, allows that too, but oddly enough nothing has been brought up against Google yet. However it turns out that Apple could have pointed the Federal Trade Commission Google’s way, according to an email that surfaced recently, which was reportedly sent by Apple’s general counsel, Bruce Sewell.

The email was actually sent earlier this year, but the folks at POLITICO managed to get their hands on it through a Freedom of Information Act request. The email was sent from Sewell to FTC Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, pointing her towards an article that similarly criticized Google for the lack of controls over in-app purchases in their own app store.

The report basically blamed Google for allowing your “kid to spend like a drunken sailor”. The FTC has yet to formally announce if they would be pursuing Google over these allegations, but neither Google nor Apple has offered their comment on the matter, but what do you guys think? Could Google be facing an FTC investigation soon?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: Android, Apps, Google, Legal