United Kingdom - Online games industry given two months to get house in order following OFT investigation

The OFT has today published its final principles for online and in-app games, and given games producers a deadline of 1 April to ensure that their games do not breach consumer protection law.

The OFT principles state that consumers should be told upfront about costs associated with a game or about in-game advertising, and any important information such as whether their personal data is to be shared with other parties for marketing purposes. The principles also make clear that in-game payments are not authorised, and should not be taken, unless the payment account holder, such as a parent, has given his or her express, informed consent.

Failure to comply with the principles could risk enforcement action.

The OFT has also published guidance for parents today that will help make sure that children are not pressured into making in-game purchases and reduce the risk of their making unauthorised payments. Nearly 90 per cent of children aged between seven and 15 have played online games in the past six months, with half paying to play at least once.

Specifically, the OFT advice suggests that parents:

• Check the 'payment options' settings on their device. One option is to make sure that a password is required for every purchase, rather than opening a 'payment window' in which the password will not be needed for any further payments.
• Check whether there are any in-game purchases or whether the game contains a social element by looking at its description on the app store or the game's website.
• Play the game themselves to understand what children will see.
• Be aware that game content could change via automatic updates, so check regularly that they continue to be happy with their children playing a game.

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