Apple isn't being parental enough, according to EU
Preventing unauthorized purchases on the App Store isn't difficult. Apple's system already requires separate authorization for App Store transactions and in-app purchases, provides a warning of the 15-minute purchase window when a paid app is bought, and iOS allows you to disable both in-app purchases and App Store transactions via its Restrictions settings. None of that is enough for European regulators, who are now shaming the company for not doing enough to keep kids from running up huge bills on their parents' credit cards.
The European Commission released a statement claiming that "No concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorization."
In the end, it's hard to argue that Apple is actually responsible for kids making massive purchases using the authorization provided by their parents. If a child -- whether they're too young to know the difference or an older teen who simply doesn't care -- can't be trusted with access to an adult's credit card, they shouldn't have the password or other authorization to use it on the App Store. It's as simple as that.
Pointing the finger at Apple, which is providing ample tools to manage and restrict purchases, is just a way for those caught with huge credit card bills to pass the blame off on someone else.
