Did your kid rack up\u00a0\u00a0charges on Apple’s app store without your permission? You may be in luck: the company says it will pay to settle a lawsuit over so-called “bait apps,” which are games that can be downloaded for free but then charge for “game currency” like virtual goods or play money.<\/p>\n
Under the terms of the settlement, Apple will offer a $5 iTunes credit to those who claims that a minor bought in-game items without their knowledge or permission. If the amount in question is more than $5, Apple will offer a credit for that amount. If the amount in question is over $30, an Apple user can claim a cash refund.<\/p>\n
The proposed settlement comes after parents\u00a0sued Apple<\/a>\u00a0in 2011 upon discovering that their minor children had racked up credit card charges in supposedly free games. The issue was the subject of a Daily Show feature<\/a> about a father whose kids racked up hundreds of dollars to keep virtual fish alive in a game called “Tap Fish.” The same problem also befell GigaOM’s Kevin Tofel\u00a0whose kids spent $375<\/a>\u00a0– also on virtual fish.<\/p>\n In order to collect under the settlement, Apple users will have to attest that a minor bought “game currency” and that the user did not provide the minor with the Apple password.<\/p>\n