Google is introducing a new layer of security in the Play Store to prevent purchases made by children

Google has launched a new tool that promises to put an end to unnecessary Play Store purchases made by children using credit cards registered on the platform. The new role requires the owner of family accounts to manually authorize transactions requested by children and teens before the invoice is credited.

This feature is intended to prevent overspending on the card by dependents on Family Link, an option that allows you to link a family group with Gmail accounts that provides parental control over minors’ accounts. The new security layer is valid exclusively for payment methods common to all users.

This way, when an underage dependent attempts to purchase a game, expansion pack, or subscription, the responsible person will receive an alert on the cell phone asking for approval. If authorized, the purchase will be completed successfully and a receipt will be emailed to you, but if there is a refusal, the order will be cancelled.

The notification provides to the responsible person all the details related to the application or content that the child wants to have, such as the age group indicated by the developer, description and images. Google has not announced the countries in which the novelty has been released, but more details are expected to be released soon.

This feature comes to prevent a recurring problem in app stores: with careless adults, children can pick up a smartphone and make multiple purchases by paying on the common usage card linked to accounts registered on the family platform, an action that can cause serious harm depending on the limit available.

There are several reports of children who, in possession of their parents’ cell phones, made dozens of transactions and purchased items in games without the knowledge of the person in charge, especially in the Play Store and App Store.