Mobile Apps May Not Be Child's Play
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Do you have a kid who uses your phone to play games? The FTC has information you need to know.
One of the weirdest apps that apparently amuses kids is the Zippo lighter app that actually looks like a lighter alighting. But giving your kids an app that teaches them how fascinating fire can be is not the most questionable decision a parent can make when it comes to mobile apps.
The Federal Trade Commission just released a report on mobile apps for kids which contained alarming statistics. More than 60% of the apps sent information from the mobile device to ad networks or other third parties, without disclosing they did that. Seventeen percent of apps allow kids to make purchases for virtual merchandise with prices from 99 cents to $29.99.
Teach your kids not to input personal data credit card numbers without approval. You can also put the phone into airplane mode when kids play so they can't send out information.
And check what your kids are doing when they play on apps. The FTC's report has shocking statistics and where there's smoke, there's fire.
