Responding to parents, Apple now requires passwords for all in-app buys

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Is the credit card cash cow dead for the Smurfs?
Is the credit card cash cow dead for the Smurfs?

Yesterday’s update to the iOS 4.3 includes a requirement that buyers must enter their passwords for each purchase in iTunes.

The move comes after parents and legislators squawked that kids were making too many accidental buys in “credit-card bait games” in part because passwords stayed active for a 15-minute grace period.

“We are proud to have industry-leading parental controls with iOS,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told the Washington Post. “With iOS 4.3, in addition to a password being required to purchase an app on the App Store, a reentry of your password is now required when making an in-app purchase.”

What do you think about the new requirement?

And do you think it will stop these games targeting kids?

 

 

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