EU Commission Ruling Helps Smart Phone Users Fight App Rip Off

Fine Gael Dublin MEP, Brian Hayes has today cautioned consumers to be aware of hidden charges when it comes to using apps on smarts phones.

“With Christmas just around the corner, people need to be aware of their rights in buying a smart phone and downloading apps. People are lured into believing by Apple and Google that an app is free, when it’s not.”

 “Smartphone users are often not aware of many additional charges associated with some apps. Just because an app is free to download, doesn’t mean that charges won’t apply when in use. Photo editing apps where you can purchase additional filters or games are often the biggest offenders with hidden charges. 

  “The European Commission are on to this.  The Apple Store previously advertised its app’s as ‘Free’. Now they have been directed by the European Commission into changing the word ‘Free’ to ‘Get’.”

“While I welcome this progress – more needs to be done.  The Apple App Store and Google Play Store require passwords when downloading new apps. However, once the password is entered the first time, users have 15 minutes where they can make purchases and downloads without entering the password again. While options exist to change this, it is not well known.”