UKIE pledges to work with OFT in IAP investigation

UK video games trade body UKIE has said that it will assist the Office of Fair Trading in its investigation into in-app-payments.

The OFT this morning announced plans to investigate how companies offer IAPs in game amidst concerns that some publishers are specifically targeting children, some of whom may not understand the concept of money

The games industry takes its responsibility to children very seriously and most devices and digital marketplaces have safeguards in place, such as password locks and parental controls, that can prevent children from being able to access in-app purchases,” UKIE CEO Jo Twist stated.

Consumers are now often able to download and play the latest games for free. In-app purchasing is simply a new and innovative way for consumers to pay for these games and access the extra content that they want.

We will continue to do everything that we can to raise awareness of in-app purchasing and will be working with the OFT on providing a full response to their investigation.”