Phone app makers face scrutiny over abuses

The developers of smartphone applications are set to come under closer scrutiny after the UK’s premium-rate telephone regulator said it would seek to clamp down on hidden charges and other abuses.

PhonepayPlus, which regulates any goods and services purchased through phone billing systems, launched a consultation after a spate of complaints in recent months. PhonepayPlus’ consultation to telecoms and technology companies identifies several risks, including “freemium” apps that are unclear about the price of buying add-ons within an initially free service, credits which expire without due warning, and the hijacking of devices to send high-cost text messages.