Facebook games will have to reveal any in-app charges and will no
longer be allowed to give players bonuses for "liking" their pages under
new rules rolled out for developers this week.
The changes were part of a new version of the platform developers use to build games and other apps and share them with Facebook users. The developers will have 90 days to comply with the new rules.
So-called "freemium"
games and other apps have become a popular choice for developers using
Facebook or other platforms, like Apple's iOS and Google's Android
mobile operating systems.
Instead of paying for an
app up front, players may download a game for free. In most cases, they
can then play a basic version of that game, but get access to new
content or in-game items that help their progress by paying.
In addition to being arguably deceptive, this approach also has brought attention through several cases in which children have unknowingly racked up thousands of dollars worth of charges by making purchases in games that their parents didn't realize allowed that option.
"If your game includes mandatory or optional in-app charges, explain this in your app's description," Facebook's new rule reads.
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