Tag: mobile privacy

 

Federal Trade Commission targets mobile games designed for children

Privacy in mobile games has become a very problematic issue, according to the Federal Trade Commission, a government agency focused on consumer rights. According to the agency, the developers of mobile games that target children are not doing enough to protect the privacy of these consumers. These mobile applications often collect information from their users, such as name, email address, and even financial information provided by parents. If these applications are compromised by malware, this information could be exploited, with catastrophic consequences.

Mobile games for children are not developed with privacy in mind

Developers of mobile games, especially those targeting children, rarely have privacy as a primary concern. Younger consumers are not necessarily considered to have access to any vital information that would attract the interest of a hacker, but this is not usually the case. The Federal Trade Commission notes that many young consumers make use of their parent’s information, often without the knowledge of their parent. While this practice is typically rare, the growing popularity of mobile devices and their reach to a younger audience is causing this practice to spike.

Developers not supplying enough information

Moreover, the Federal Trade Commission suggests that developers of mobile games have not done enough to provide parents with the information they need to make informed choices regarding the applications that their children use. Mobile games designed for younger consumers are often marketed in a way that would be appealing to children, not adults. The agency notes that only 15% of the mobile games it examined for its investigation provided information letting parents know that there are in-app advertisements, many of which are designed to acquire information from the person following them.

Privacy continues to be a major concern for mobile consumers

Privacy continues to be a hot topic in the mobile space. Companies like Apple have run into legal trouble in the past over their privacy and security methods. Privacy concerns are beginning to affect the mobile applications market, with consumers becoming less willing to purchase or download a particular app unless they can be convinced that their information is protected in some way.

Smartphones have become pervasive in China, where data from September 2011 has shown that the number of mobile phone users broke the 940 million mark, and where over half of the new device users are opting for 3G devices. Now, in 2012, China holds the largest share of mobile phone market and is experiencing the most competitive challenges within smartphone sector.

As a result, much of the world is looking to China mobile trends as the gauge of mobile progress, and is seeing mobile gaming as a vital element of the growth of the industry, and that will also be responsible for the majority of the revenue in that part of the world.

Firms and mobile app developers around the world are looking to China to take their own piece of the mobile pie. To do this, they are also paying close attention to the predictions that are being made about the mobile environment in that region. So far, they included the following predictions for 2012:

• Before the close of the year, China will break the 100 million mark for the number of smartphones being used in the country

• All three major Chinese telecom carriers will offer support of Apple’s iOS

• The market for game distribution in China will continue to divide until there will be more than 100 independent channels

• The most popular smartphones in China will be those based on Android

• The top source of mobile game revenue will come from in-game purchases

Though analysts, economists, and other experts may have yet to decide whether or not China will become the world’s next superpower, and when that may occur, what is difficult to doubt is that in the mobile gaming world, the country will already have reached its position as confirmed leader by the end of this year.

Not just China Mobile Trends Anymore – What all companies should know about m-commerce

The companies that will be seeing the greatest successes over the next few years have realized that mobile is here and it is heating up, and that the earlier they take part in it, the better the results will be.

Even better than the popularity of mobile is that m-commerce is also on the rise. Business leaders such as CEOs are now being required to find out about the latest trends and movements in mobile, so that their own companies will be able to stay ahead of the game.

The following are some points that every company should know about m-commerce:

Mobile has arrived – this isn’t a channel that is just about to get here. It’s already here, and it is expected to explode at any moment. Almost half of all Americans now have a smartphone, and most expert predictions are saying that by 2015, the spending using those mobile devices will be 8 percent greater than that generated by e-commerce.

• M-commerce is becoming mainstream – it is becoming the norm for the average consumer to make purchases using their mobile devices. Whether they buy the items online, or use the devices to make the payments in-store, the incorporation of the device into the purchasing process is becoming mainstream.

• Mobile payments does not yet have a leader – though there are many different companies vying for the top spot of the mobile payments marketplace, that position has yet to be claimed. It isn’t expected that the winner will be known before the end of this year.

• Privacy is key – one of the top concerns that smartphone owners have identified is with regards to privacy. Being respectful of this will be critical to the success of mobile efforts both this year and beyond.