in-app purchase

The iOS Netflix app now has a subscribe button. It's a small change that could make a big difference to Apple's bottom line, as well as opening up legal challenges. Since 2018, Netflix has not offered any way to subscribe through its iPhone and iPad ... app. Instead, users had to sign up on the website, then install the app and sign in. That wasn't a case of Netflix being deliberately awkward but rather not wanting to pay a commission to Apple, which demands a 30 percent cut of any subscriptions made through an app, falling to 15 percent after the first year. Companies like Netflix which refused ... (view more)

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) thinks Amazon.com should be on the hook for unauthorized purchases made by children while using apps on their smartphones, tablets, and even computers. In a recent complaint filed in a U.S. court, the ... FTC says parents whose children made unauthorized purchases should receive refunds from Amazon. The problem surrounds free-to-play games that are easily downloaded onto mobile devices; such games typically start out with a basic character and story, but then require players to make expensive (though easy to complete) 'purchases' in order to see ... (view more)