Facebook sued for more than $5 million over games

It may seem like a small amount to some, but that is what one California women thinks is enough to repay all of the unauthorized charges her child, and others, have made thanks to Facebook’s family-friendly, free-to-play games.

The California mother has filed a lawsuit against the social network, stating it allowed minors to make millions of dollars in unauthorized charges for Facebook Credits, which were then used to buy items in games. Facebook lets children as young as 13 create accounts, though the terms state that those under 18 must get parental permission before buying credits. Obviously that isn’t happening.

The suit is seeking a class action status and was filed on behalf of all parents/legal guardians in the US whose children have made unauthorized purchases on Facebook. It also asks that those damages add up to more than $5 million. The woman suing put her personal loss at “several hundred dollars.”

Apple is facing a similar lawsuit over free-to-play games. The iPad maker previously allowed players to make in-app purchases without entering an account password for validation for the first 15 minutes after a game was downloaded. This led to minors racking up hundreds of dollars in charges for games like Smurfs’ Village, which were downloaded for free but encourage players to spend money to speed their progress in the game.