Haktech: Lawsuit filed against use of Facebook Credits by minors

A few days ago, a group of parents filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company doesn't do enough to impose restrictions against children who want to buy in-game content for so-called "free-to-play" apps published on Apple's iOS App Store. Now another similar class action lawsuit has been filed, this time against Facebook.

PaidContent.org reports that the lawsuit was filed on Friday by Glynnis Bohannon of Arizona. She claims that her son, a minor, was able to purchase Facebook Credits, which are then used to acquire content for games such as Farmville.

Facebook's own terms of service claim that anyone under 18 can only purchase Facebook Credits with the help of parent or guardian. However, Bohannon claims that her unnamed son was unaware that he was spending real money, via her mother's credit card, to purchase Facebook Credits. Facebook gets a 30 percent cut of all in-game transactions.

A related court filing from Facebook's Manager of Payment Operation Bill Richardson claims that over $5 million in Facebook Credits were purchased in 2011 by minors age 13 to 17.

Bohannon is seeking a refund of not just the money spent by her son but also a refund for anyone in a similar situation. In an official statement, Facebook said, "We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously."