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       #Post#: 95--------------------------------------------------
       "Friendly fraud": Documents show Facebook used games
       to make money off of kids
   DIR By: Satanica
       Date: January 25, 2019, 8:49 am
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  HTML https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-used-games-to-make-money-off-kids-court-documents-show/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a
       --- Quote ---
       >
       > After a series of scandals, Facebook is under fire again over
       newly released documents that show an apparent pattern of
       exploiting minors for their parents' money. More than 100 pages
       of documents released on Thursday night, part of a 2012 lawsuit,
       show that Facebook was aware children spent large sums of money
       on game apps without parental consent. The suit alleges the
       social media giant made it difficult for parents to get their
       money back.
       >
       > Glynnis Bohannan let her 12-year-old son use her credit card
       to play the game Ninja Saga on Facebook, but the initial fee of
       $19.95 mushroomed into charges totaling nearly $1,000. Bohannan
       was shocked when she opened that bill.
       >
       > "I wanted to know what my son was doing because I told him it
       was only a one-time transaction. He's like, 'I'm not using your
       card,'" Bohannan told CBS News' Carter Evans.
       >
       > What he didn't realize was that Facebook had stored his mom's
       credit card and was charging it as he played the game.
       > [....]
       > This practice was widespread, according to newly released
       court documents. It was known at Facebook as "friendly fraud,"
       meaning a minor was using the app on a parent's or grandparent's
       account. Bohannan filed a lawsuit after finding it impossible to
       reach Facebook for a refund. The case ultimately grew into a
       class action suit.
       >
       > "There's no way that they didn't know these transactions were
       originating from Facebook accounts that were assigned to
       minors," said Bohannan's attorney John Parker.
       >
       > Newly released internal emails filed in court show that in
       2012, Facebook analyzed refund requests on another game, Angry
       Birds, and found that more than 90 percent were because of
       "friendly fraud."  It said that "in nearly all cases, the
       parent... didn't think the child would be allowed to buy
       anything without their password or authorization first."
       >
       > One deposition shows Facebook employees were reluctant to
       reduce this "friendly fraud" because it would likely also reduce
       the company's overall revenue. According to court documents, the
       company calculated that between 2008 and 2014 minors under 18
       made purchases on Facebook totaling more than $34 million.
       >
       > "I think it was all driven by greed and money," Bohannan said.
       "I felt this could be a family's rent or the car payment, or
       their grocery money, and that this was wrong."
       >
       > Bohannan's case was settled in 2016. In a statement, Facebook
       said, "we routinely examine our own practices, and in 2016
       agreed to update our terms and provide dedicated resources for
       refund requests related to purchases made by minors on
       Facebook."
       >
       > After what she's been through, Bohannan wants others to know
       that they should be careful.
       >
       > "They've changed some of their practices but initially when
       they went into buying and selling things on Facebook, they
       didn't have proper, safe practices."
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       #Post#: 98--------------------------------------------------
       Re: "Friendly fraud": Documents show Facebook used
       games to make money off of kids
   DIR By: KatO9Tails
       Date: January 25, 2019, 9:03 am
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       I didn't spend that much on the games but alot of people would
       and I can imagine how that would add up. In some games it would
       be the difference between life and death in the game so at the
       beginning levels I would try and enter and stay in the
       tournaments and kill everyone for the same bling items to stay
       on the leader boards. Anyone else with the money could get 10
       times the amount of special powers by buying them which was bunk
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