Amazon will refund $70 million in accidental in-app purchases

Amazon has effectively rescinded its appeal this week against the 2016 federal court decision which found the online retailer guilty of illegally billing users for unauthorized in-app purchases. Amazon had been ordered to provide refunds to those who had been affected.

In 2016, a US federal judge ruled that Amazon had failed to properly inform users before charging for in-app purchases, which are frequently found in free-to-play games. The in-app purchase mechanism failed to offer a password lock that could help parents block their children from making unwanted in-app purchases while playing games.

More than $70 million worth of in-app charges made between November 2011 and May 2016 will be eligible for the refunds. The refund program will be operated by Amazon, though there are no details on when it will start. Amazon won't just be doling out store credit either; it was ordered to deliver the refunds as paper checks or direct deposits.

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Florence Ion

Florence Ion was formerly an editor and columnist at Android Central. She writes about Android-powered devices of all types and explores their usefulness in her everyday life. You can follow her on Twitter or watch her Tuesday nights on All About Android.