The Office of Fair Trading - the UK government department responsible for competition and consumer law - has told mobile app developers and games producers that it wants consumers to be warned about optional extra costs before they download or start playing.
Ending the possibility of unintentional ‘in-app’ or ‘in-game’ payments is just one of eight principles the OFT has published today.
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Podcast - 18th September 2013
We start this week's show with news about the European Commission's plans to end mobile roaming charges completely from next year.
We're also talking about the future facing Twitter and Dell, Vodafone's security challenges in Germany, app development, wireless charging, mobile payments and Nokia's Android-based smartphones.
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Mark Bridge writes:
Following Wednesday’s ‘State of the Union’ speech by EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, EC Vice-President Neelie Kroes has emphasised the urgency of changing the way telecoms companies operate across Europe.
Ms Kroes wants to cut red tape, end roaming charges, reduce call costs and introduce ‘net neutrality’ across Europe.
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European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has used his 2013 ‘State of the Union’ speech today to announce plans to reduce phone charges, cut red tape and introduce new consumer rights.
The main parts of the ‘Connected Continent’ package include banning incoming mobile phone call charges while travelling in the EU from July 2014 and cutting the cost of international telephone calls within Europe.
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It’s reported that the UK government is considering a sales ban on small mobile phones designed to look like remote-access car keys.
Although many of the phones resemble keys used by major vehicle brands, which would infringe the manufacturers’ copyright, there are also concerns that the phones are small enough to be smuggled into prisons.
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