Facebook Faces Underage Gamer Lawsuit

[Lizardon]

1. If the facebook user is a minor, or if the name on the card doesn't match the name on the facebook account, send a facebook employee to the user's residence, and speak to the legal guardian to confirm the transaction.

While they didn't send a person to my house, EBGames in Australia gave my mother a call when she and I used her credit card to buy a game for me from they online store but put my name as the buyer. 10 minutes after she got a call asking to confirm the transaction as the names on the purchase and card didn't match. I was quite impressed when that happened and it would be just as easy for Facebook to use email to notify someone if their card is being used by someone else.

Anyway I agree with everyone else that allowing a child control of hundreds of dollars of your own money is a terrible idea and it is entirely your fault if they blow it on Facebook games. They was plenty of things the mother could have done to prevent this.

 

[Covarr]

Except you have no evidence of that at all except for wild speculation. Plus its not strange for kids to have money. You can easily start working by the age of 14.

If the women is right in her allegations then the lawsuit is perfectly legitimate. If she is lying then it isnt. There is absolutely no point at all in this case where the remarks you made would ever be relevant even if they were true.

Even if the minor is using a prepaid card which they purchased with money they earned legitimately and on their own (which I strongly doubt is the case in this scenario, because most parents don't have a problem with their kids spending their own money), it's still the parent's responsibility to monitor the child.

You say its still the parents responsibility to monitor the child but its impossible to watch your kid 100% of the time. That is the reason that laws such as the one she is claiming facebook breaks exist. You cant just say its the parents fault when ever a kid does something.

I am also really fucking hate people talking shit about something that they know absolutely nothing at all about.

The kid doesn't NEED watched 100% of the time. If the kid can't be trusted to use facebook responsibly, the parent should limit the child's access to an amount of time that they CAN be monitored. Honest kids barely need watched, and dishonest ones shouldn't have this much freedom. Anyone who is both deceitful enough and resourceful enough to get around basic parental supervision and time-based access is going to be able to get around even the best preventative measures facebook could possibly take, short of removing microtransactions entirely.

The ONLY excuse I can think of is if the parent somehow doesn't know that their kid is a lying little turd (do note that I'm not saying all kids are), but even that's not a good excuse since if you've been raising a kid for THIRTEEN YEARS (the minimum age to make a facebook account) you should know your kid well enough to know what they're like, how honest they are, etc.

It's worth noting that facebook is still doing MORE verification than if a kid takes their prepaid debit card to walmart and buys a ton of video games (or even prepaid facebook points cards), and yet nobody is suing walmart.

By the way, I went ahead and read the lawsuit as well as the California laws that Bohannon is saying Facebook broke. These are laws regarding unfair business practices, false advertising, anticompetitive practices... they have nothing whatsoever to do with the case she's trying to make. The closest connection she can make is that one of them says she can sue if a company does something illegal... but her lawsuit fails to cite any actual quantifiable lawbreaking. Whether you think she's right or wrong, she's going to lose simply because her paperwork and her complaint don't add up at all.

P.S. Thanks

 

[llew]

I guess nobody here is intelligent enough to know what a preloaded credit card is. Just because they are buying something on a facebook game does not mean they have access to their parents credit card. I mean jesus fucking christ are you people really this stupid? Lets blame everything on the parents with absolutely no fucking evidence at all. You people are worse then fox news.

If the parent is dumb enough to use the credit card on facebook, not delete the details and then leave the credit card lying around for the child to find then yes, we can blame the parents
captcha: senior citizen... im pretty sure im under the age of 65...

 

[Mr.Pandah]

The kid doesn't NEED watched 100% of the time. If the kid can't be trusted to use facebook responsibly, the parent should limit the child's access to an amount of time that they CAN be monitored. Honest kids barely need watched, and dishonest ones shouldn't have this much freedom. Anyone who is both deceitful enough and resourceful enough to get around basic parental supervision and time-based access is going to be able to get around even the best preventative measures facebook could possibly take, short of removing microtransactions entire

If you have a kid that is going to get into trouble there is nothing at all you can do to prevent that short of locking him up. You cant limit a kids access to facebook its just not feasible.

By the way, I went ahead and read the lawsuit as well as the California laws that Bohannon is saying Facebook broke. These are laws regarding unfair business practices, false advertising, anticompetitive practices... they have nothing whatsoever to do with the case she's trying to make. The closest connection she can make is that one of them says she can sue if a company does something illegal... but her lawsuit fails to cite any actual quantifiable lawbreaking. Whether you think she's right or wrong, she's going to lose simply because her paperwork and her complaint don't add up at all.

P.S. Thanks

To be honest this part here doesnt really surprise me. I assumed she was insane the moment I read that she was filing the lawsuit herself and not through a lawyer. I just dont like it when people jump on the her child did something wrong she must be a worthless sack of shit and horrible parent bandwagon without any evidence.

And you're implying this kid has a job and is paying for it with his own money yet you have no evidence...you come out of the gates screaming that we are all somehow stupid for assuming certain things yet you do the same. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to get all upset over it anyway. And how does the child spending her own money have no bearing in this case? She's clearly doing it to get money back as well.

I didnt make any assumptions I just stated hypothetical possibilities and said that people should not just to conclusions without any evidence. Its idiotic to start waving around your pitchfork when you dont even know anything about the subject you are raging on.

Hypothetical possibilities...assumptions...tomato...potato. Okay, guess I'm raging. *rolls eyes*

I still stand by the strong possibility that she just wants to pass the buck, as most people nowadays do.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Oh sure, sue Facebook for allowing kids to buy currency for their website but don't sue them for not stopping 13 year olds posting nearly nude pictures of themselves, thrusting it on my wall and making me feel uncomfortable as I try not to react and just move on to discuss with someone something I've forgotten by that point.

In all seriousness, I see the issue and Facebook ought to do something with what it's doing, but I'm saying that because I think mark Zuckerberg's paycheck is big enough as it is and not because I care about kids and responsibility. Sure it's something they ought to do, but when I was a kid, I was taught not to do anything unless I was 100% sure that nothing bad would happen, and if I saw a money sign of any kind, I was to not do anything. My parents knew that digital payments were on the rise, and they knew they were easy (even easier than it is now, back when I was a kid, though certainly not quicker), but most importantly, they knew I liked clicking on things and that was a recipe for disaster.

But really, of all the things Facebook gets sued for, it's this? I mean, sue the privacy policy for being bananas insane, or the openness of apps and how they seem to be monitored barely well at all, but this just seems like the lesser of lesser evils.

Calumon: Maybe they just want some more money and for their kids not get more money because they're big meanies!

 

[Tipsy Giant]

what would this woman say if she found internet porn charged to her credit card from her kid?

It's no-ones fault but yours, you know why I never used my mums card without permission, she raised me correctly, fucking hell!

 

[weirdee]

According to my terrible backwards logic, if children committed credit card fraud, their legal guardians are held responsible, so the parents would have to press charges against themselves to get restitution.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

According to my terrible backwards logic, if children committed credit card fraud, their legal guardians are held responsible, so the parents would have to press charges against themselves to get restitution.

I could see it happening too.

 

[Vrach]

According to my terrible backwards logic, if children committed credit card fraud, their legal guardians are held responsible, so the parents would have to press charges against themselves to get restitution.

Well actually, if the child did commit credit card fraud, they should be able to just counter-sue, right?

And this is pretty much like suing the shop when your kid grabs money out of your wallet and goes to buy himself a Kit-Kat. If your child took money from you without your knowledge, the problem does not lie in anyone but your own stupid, incompetent self, something you only prove further by blaming someone else for it.

 

[TakeyB0y2]

Sigh... Part of me has a feeling she doesn't actually care about the issue at hand (I can't even really SEE an issue here, except potential credit card fraud, but that's a fault of parental negligence not Facebook), I think she just wants to make some money outta this.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Beyond putting in a little checkbox that says "Do you certify that you are 18 years of age or older" which kids can easily check off regardless of whether or not they are actually 18 years of age or older or not, there's not much Facebook can do about this nor should they be particularly obligated to. In fact even providing the blooding checkbox is probably more than they should really be expected to do. Hell the parents have to take SOME responsibility for the stuff their kids do.

There's no question that some and perhaps even most of these games are designed to hook players and get them spending money, but why do so many 14-year-olds seem to have such an easy time accessing their parents' credit cards?

That's the part that really baffles me. How exactly are these kids getting access to the credit cards necessary to make these purchases? It's not Facebook's fault that you were stupid enough to give your kids your credit card or to save your credit card info in your web browser. Facebook (or indeed any company or corporate entity) should not liable for your stupidity.

 

[jdogtwodolla]

Not that I'm siding with anyone here, but can't kids buy redeem cards for Facebook games? Why does it have to be credit cards, granted that number is still probably very high.

 

[Covarr]

I just dont like it when people jump on the her child did something wrong she must be a worthless sack of shit and horrible parent bandwagon without any evidence.

The biggest reasons her parenting is being criticized are twofold. First of all, based on the fact that she is seeking damages personally rather than just in her child's name, it is reasonable to assume that it was her personal money that was spent on facebook credits, which would mean the child stole from her (or that she doesn't understand her own lawsuit and is trying to collect money that she didn't actually). Nonetheless, if her child has used her credit card without permission, it means she has done an inadequate job instilling a proper sense of ethics, honesty, and respect.

Second of all, the fact that she is attempting to blame facebook for her child's actions suggests an unwillingness to take responsibility. The fact is, her son did something he should not have done, and instead of punishing him she's trying to act as though it's not his fault. At the most, her action toward facebook should be to ask for a refund in exchange for the credits being removed from the account. If they've already been spent, then whatever they've been spent on should be removed from his FarmVille or whatever he spent them on. Regardless, facebook is no more to blame for money being spent on facebook credits than a brick and mortar store would be to blame for a child buying something there.

Mind you, I'm not saying she's a "worthless sack of shit" or a "horrible parent". I doubt she beats her child, starves him, or anything along those lines, and I doubt she even realizes there's anything wrong with the course of action she's chosen. If anything, she's just clueless. This whole situation reeks of overprotective parenting, trying to keep her little angel out of trouble no matter what, and by doing this she's sending the message that he can do whatever he wants because nothing is really ever his fault. Horrible parent? Not a chance. But certainly not as good as she should be, and that's not gonna change until she stops deluding herself and accepts the fact that her child needs some discipline.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Samantha Burt]

Not that I'm siding with anyone here, but can't kids buy redeem cards for Facebook games? Why does it have to be credit cards, granted that number is still probably very high.

If the kid is buying a prepaid card with their own money, then it's not really an issue. Otherwise, it's still the parents' fault.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

Not that I'm siding with anyone here, but can't kids buy redeem cards for Facebook games? Why does it have to be credit cards, granted that number is still probably very high.

Yes they can, but that also means they're using money to buy said cards...and whom are they getting the money from that makes it a big deal in the first place?

 

[Baldr]

Actually I blame the credit card companies. I dealt with one family member stealing another members credit card info(no children involved). It is not hard to go into the purse or wallet and obtain the card info. There needs to be some secret code or password so things like this don't happen. It is sad this day and age not to have these extra security features.

 

[Mariakko]

I'm 18 and never had a credit card. The only time I've used one online was to pay for Minecraft with my mother's card which I had to transfer the money into first. I still see my friend go out and but $50 worth of lollies and chocolate and put it on her credit card and say "Mummy will pay it off". Are kids not being taught how to manage money properly anymore?

I do agree that Facebook should have a bit more security in its transactions though.

 

[antipunt]

And this is why I don't want to have kids...

Nowadays, it's so freaking impossible. The expectations man... "But Dad ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS have access to CREDIT CARDS!"