Australian govt. commissions inquiry into smartphone appsNovember 5, 2012 - 22:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An official inquiry into smartphone apps has been commissioned by the Treasury of the Australian government, according to BBC News. Australia's Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury said he would be inviting smartphone owners to "name and shame" apps they were unhappy with. The inquiry will ask whether users are given enough information about the costs associated with apps before and after they are downloaded. The public consultation will end in January 2013. "In a very short period of time, new mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have changed the way consumers engage in commerce," said Bradbury in a statement. "At the same time though, some consumers have raised concerns about aspects of mobile commerce, particularly where purchases can be made without much difficulty using stored credit card data." Bradbury said he was particularly concerned by apps aimed at children that encourage the purchase of virtual goods and subscriptions. "We have strong consumer laws in Australia that protect the rights of consumers and place clear obligations on businesses," he said. "This inquiry is an opportunity to look at the adequacy of existing measures to address any consumer concern." The inquiry, which will start soon, will be carried out by the government's Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. People will be able to submit their experiences via the council's website. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |