In a surprising turn of events, a seven-year-old boy managed to rack up an astonishing $5,767.55 in charges through in-app purchases while playing the Jurassic World game on his father’s iPad. David Martinez, the boy’s father, discovered the hefty bill when he attempted to make a purchase from a supplier and found his account drained. Upon contacting his bank, he was shocked to learn about 65 transactions made to Apple between December 13 and December 18. It turns out his son not only had access to the iPad but had also memorized his father’s password—a revelation that left Martinez both astonished and furious.
While many would expect this scenario to serve as a reminder for parents to monitor their children’s online activity more closely, the real crux of the story lies in Martinez’s ire directed at Apple. “I was furious. I’m a grown man, why would Apple assume I’d spend thousands on in-game purchases?” he expressed to The Daily Times. He further emphasized to Westfield News that “Apple needs to take more accountability. They should implement stricter parental controls and monitor transactions better. They have my account information, so they should have recognized that I don’t make such high expenditures on iTunes. It should have raised a red flag.”
So, let’s break this down. The child had free rein with the iPad, knew the password, and made the purchases himself. How is this Apple’s fault? With millions of users, Apple cannot be expected to oversee every transaction for every account, nor should they be. It’s a parent’s responsibility to set boundaries and protect their finances.
My partner and I recently gifted our toddlers their own tablets for several reasons: we were tired of sharing our iPad, stepping on a tablet is less painful than stepping on Legos, and we want them to be tech-savvy in a rapidly advancing world. However, having their own devices doesn’t mean they can do whatever they please. We’ll implement every parental control available and regularly change the login passwords. Why? Because I have zero trust in kids—not just mine, but any child. Every morning, I suspect their first thought is, “What trouble can I cause today?” It’s my duty as a parent to safeguard against any financial mishaps. Shifting the blame onto a corporation for a child’s actions is simply unreasonable.
On a positive note, despite Martinez’s frustration with Apple, they agreed to refund the entire amount. It’s as if the incident never happened. Maybe avoiding personal responsibility can have its perks.
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Summary
A seven-year-old boy accumulated over $5,700 in charges while playing a game on his father’s iPad, leading to a furious response from the dad, who blamed Apple for the oversight. Despite the father’s frustration, Apple agreed to refund the money, highlighting the importance of parental responsibility in monitoring children’s online activities.