Apple follows through on kids' games settlement

Back in February, Apple agreed to pay out a large settlement to parents whose children had accidentally bought in-app purchases in kids' games on iOS. Now the company has followed through, and provided a means for claiming compensation. Angry parents previously claimed that their children were able to buy in-game items without a password for the first 15 minutes after downloading the app, giving young children the chance to buy hundreds of dollars worth of content without their parent's approval. As part of a settlement, Apple has launched a dedicated website where parents can claim either a $5 iTunes Store credit, or iTunes credit equal to the amount of in-app purchases made with a 45-day period. If a parent's claim is more than $30, or if they no longer own an active iTunes account, a cash refund can be claimed instead. Of course, parents will need to be able to prove that they did not knowingly authorize the specific in-app purchases. Hundreds of iOS games qualify as apps which can be claimed against -- a "Qualified App Search" page allows parents to find those games which are part of the settlement. The list includes Angry Birds, Clash of Clans and Smurfs' Village, the latter of which urged children to buy virtual currency to expand their in-game town. The game's download page now includes a prominent disclaimer to inform parents of its business model.