Children's online games

The CMA has concluded its work monitoring the children's online and app-based games market.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 4 June 2015

• Case type: Consumer enforcement
• Case state: Closed
• Market sector: Recreation and leisure
• Opened: 1 April 2013
• Closed: 4 June 2015

Final advice published

4 June 2015: The CMA has concluded its work monitoring the children’s online and app-based games market. It has published a short guide providing advice to parents and carers about these games.

• Buying features in online games: advice for parents and carers (4.6.15)
• Press release: CMA refers three children’s online games to the ASA (4.6.15)

Summary of OFT work

In April 2013, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) launched an investigation into the ways in which online and app-based games encourage children to make purchases. It investigated whether there was general market compliance with consumer protection law and explored whether online and app-based games included commercial practices that might be considered misleading, aggressive or otherwise unfair under that legislation.

Finalised principles for online and app-based games

Following its investigation, the OFT published its finalised principles for online and app-based games in January 2014.

• The OFT’s principles for online and app-based games guidance (30.1.14)
• Press release: Online games industry given two months to get house in order following OFT investigation (30.1.14)

Consultation

• Children’s online games - report and consultation (pdf 665kb)
• Response to consultation (pdf 393kb)
• Press release: Games industry should not pressure children to purchase, says OFT (26.9.13)

OFT investigation

• Children’s Online Games: A Survey of the Literature (pdf 276kb) (1.14)
• Press release: OFT investigates free children's web and app-based games (12.4.13)

Published 4 June 2015