{"id":3978,"date":"2018-11-03T20:31:23","date_gmt":"2018-11-03T20:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/androids-under-5s-apps-have-unfair-and-deceptive-ads\/"},"modified":"2018-11-03T20:31:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-03T20:31:23","slug":"androids-under-5s-apps-have-unfair-and-deceptive-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/androids-under-5s-apps-have-unfair-and-deceptive-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"Android’s under-5s apps have ‘unfair and deceptive’ ads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
<\/p>\n

\"DoctorImage copyright<\/span>
\n Bubadu<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Campaigners gave Doctor Kids as an example of a title in which a character cries if players click away from an in-app store
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Under-fives are being blitzed with app-based ads which are often manipulative, inappropriate or deceptive, according to a coalition of campaign groups. <\/p>\n

Examples given include a character crying if the child does not pay to unlock part of a game, and an app promoting another title that showed a cartoon of the US president trying to press a “nukes” button.<\/p>\n

More than 20 groups have called on US regulators<\/a> to launch an official probe.<\/p>\n

A UK charity has also urged action.<\/p>\n

The calls were prompted following a report by the University of Michigan’s Medical School into the phenomenon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Its researchers reviewed a total of 135 apps available via Google’s Play Store, which are marketed to or played by children under five.<\/p>\n

Of these, 85 were “free” and had some sort of advertising. The other 50 – of which 88% had ads – were paid for. <\/p>\n

“Our findings show that the early childhood app market is a wild west, with a lot of apps appearing more focused on making money than the child’s play experience,” commented the study’s senior author<\/a> Jenny Radesky.<\/p>\n

“I’m concerned about digital disparities as children from lower-income families are more likely to play free apps, which are packed with more distracting and persuasive ads.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image copyright<\/span>
\n Budge Studios<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n The university study raised several concerns about the game Strawberry Shortcake Bake Shop
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Character endorsements<\/h2>\n

The study gives several examples of advertising techniques which it thinks raise concern:<\/p>\n