Manipulative And Distracting Ads Are Ruining Kids Apps, Researchers Say

BuzzFeed2018Science PolicyBrain ScienceNewsBusiness & Tech
Written By Virginia Hughes

Popular apps for young kids, especially those available in Google’s app store, are teeming with advertisements that distract them from play, manipulate them to make purchases, and extract their personal data.

That’s the conclusion of a new study that’s prompted a slew of child advocacy groups to ask the US federal government to investigate these products. The groups argue that many apps violate the Federal Trade Commission Act by disguising ads, programming characters to lure kids into purchases, or misleading parents into thinking the games are educational.

Read more at BuzzFeed News, October 2018.

Virginia Hughes
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