日前，美国联邦贸易委员会（FTC）宣布将调查免费模式游戏所存在的付款漏洞问题，据称有一些政客认为，应制定一些规范这种运营模式的条款，防止年幼无知的儿童在无意中花钱购买虚拟商品。

Smurfs-Village

据游戏邦了解，众议员Ed Markey在给FTC的一封信件中指出，有些孩子在未经家长允可的情况下，购买了游戏虚拟商品。所以FTC将对游戏工作室、开发者是否正确标注付费内容一事展开调查。

FTC将审查iOS平台的游戏产品，因为这一领域已经发生了用户在不知情的前提下购买了应用产品的情况。游戏邦获悉，FTC主席Jon Leibowitz已出面表示，为了保障用户权益，FTC会严格审查手机应用市场推广及销售的行业惯例。

Markey在一份声明中表示，“在《华盛顿邮报》本月初报道这种情况后，我就向FTC发送了一封邮件，要求他们调查这种应用内置付费功能存在的经济安全问题，并向市场推广和销售终端的用户公布有关情况……这些游戏中的虚拟货币或奖励，都会造成孩子花钱，大人钱包缩水的结果。我很高兴FTC对这件事做出了回应，只要手机应用的使用率仍在增加，我就会继续积极监督这个重要领域的发展情况。”

苹果目前仍未对此事做出回应，不过FTC已经明确表示他们会采取行动。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

FTC Investigates Free-to-Play Games Model

The FTC has announced that they will be looking into the practices of games that participate in the free-to-play model. The FTC claims that several politicians have complained over the lack of regulation and enforcement when it comes to young children purchasing content unknowingly.

The investigation will check if studios and developers are correctly identifying content that has to be purchased. A letter from Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) indicated that children were making purchases of in-game virtual items without parental consent.

The FTC will look into the matter on games present on the iOS platform. There are “raised concerns” over practices by developers, in which consumers might not fully be aware of the fact that they are making monetary purchases on apps.

“We fully share your concern that consumers, particularly children, are unlikely to understand the ramifications of these types of purchases,” said FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz. “Let me assure you we will look closely at the current industry practice with respect to the marketing and delivery of these types of applications.”

“After the Washington Post first broke this story earlier this month, I sent the Federal Trade Commission a letter calling on the agency to investigate the issue of ‘in-app’ purchases and provide additional information about the promotion and delivery of these applications to consumers, especially with respect to children,” Markey said in a statement about the FTC’s decision.

“What may appear in these games to be virtual coins and prizes to children result in very real costs to parents. I am pleased that the FTC has responded, and as the use of mobile apps continues to increase, I will continue to actively monitor developments in this important area.”

Apple has yet to respond to the investigation, but the FTC has confirmed that the letter was genuine.（source:businessinsider）