Kids do the darndest things, and now Apple is on the hook for at least a few of them.
Apple has settled a complaint from the Federal Trade Commission and will refund at least $32.5 million to consumers for in-app purchases that children made without a parent's consent.
See also: 10 Best iPhone Apps of 2013
Apple will also be required to change its billing system to ensure that it receives "express, informed consent" before consumers can be charged, according to a press release.
The trouble with Apple's billing system was that once a parent entered a password to allow an app download or in-app purchase, there was then a 15-minute window where additional purchases could be made without the need to re-enter the password. The complaint claims that Apple failed to alert parents of how this process works.
In an email sent to Apple employees, CEO Tim Cook said that all consumers who made in-app purchases in "games designed for kids" were contacted in 2013, a total of 28 million consumers. Roughly 37,000 of those users filed a claim, and will be reimbursed, he wrote, stating that Apple was already dealing with this problem when the FTC intervened.
"It doesn’t feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled," wrote Apple's CEO. "To us, it smacked of double jeopardy. However, the consent decree the FTC proposed does not require us to do anything we weren’t already going to do, so we decided to accept it rather than take on a long and distracting legal fight."
Cook also explained that the 15-minute window that follows after a user enters his password, has been a feature since the App Store launched in 2008.
But it has been a major problem in some cases where young children purchase in-app perks or updates that can run up a tab of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. In one case back in 2011, an 8-year-old girl made more than $1,400 in app purchases playing Smurf's Village.
Apple is required to change its policies by March 31, and all refunds should be made " promptly, upon request from an account holder." according to a press release.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images