Amazon sued by FTC for lack of safeguards against unauthorized purchases in Appstore

You’ve probably heard of Apple’s trouble with App Store billing. Kids have purchased hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of apps and in-app purchases trying to play those pesky pay-to-play games. This resulted in the FTC forcing Apple into making some changes to the billing process, making it more resistant to unauthorized purchases.

However, it looks like Amazon does not want to follow those same rules, and the FTC has taken notice. The FTC is now suing Amazon for not creating similar safeguards for the Amazon Appstore. Amazon prides itself on its quick purchase process, even having a patent on 1-Click Purchases on the main site, so creating such safeguards will slow the process down and remove what essentially defines Amazon.

On one hand, it would be great if Amazon would implement some safeguards to make it easier to manage billing. Accidents happen, and having a huge bill from such a silly accident is no fun. On the other, children should be taught to not make purchases without permission, and this applies to any product. But for now, the lawsuit will drag on. Who are you rooting for, and what’s your stance on the issue?