- A UK complaint targets Apple and Google for wrongly rating apps for 4‑year‑olds
- Nearly 45% of top‑earning apps collect data, run targeted ads, and sell in‑app purchases
- Legal claim seeks enforceable age ratings, not just store metadata
- Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation
- Calls intensify for transparency and protections for young children online
In the UK, Good Law Project and 5Rights have filed legal complaints against Apple and Google, accusing them of misleading parents by mislabeling apps rated safe for 4-year-olds. Investigators say nearly half of the top 500 revenue-generating apps secretly collect data, serve targeted ads, or use in-app purchases – all activities legally allowed only for users aged 13 and above.
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation and activists are demanding enforceable age ratings, not vague recommendations, to give parents transparent insights into data collection, ad exposure, and purchases.
For developers, this means clearer labels—and possibly stricter distribution rules.
For families, it should limit the hidden exploitation of young children in digital spaces.
The Times -> Read more here
