Google will refund up to $19 million in order to settle charges made by unhappy parents in the US who had unwittingly shelled out for purchases made by their children while playing free-to-play titles.

The ruling comes from the US Federal Trade Commission, which as well as Google, has been investigating the issue of kid's mis-sue of IAP with Apple and Amazon. 

Indeed, Apple, which has dealt with a number of similar cases, recently pushed out a mass email explaining that unauthorised in-app purchases made by minors could be refunded. It's paying out up to $32.5 million.

New rules

Google will now contact parents who may have been affected and if it refunds less than the agreed $19 million, the remaining balance will be paid to the FTC.

In a bid to put such cases behind it once and for all, Google has agreed to modify its billing practices to ensure that parents are aware of the transactions their children could be making.

The changes, which were implemented in March 2014, allegedly clarify when virtual and real currency is being spent, while also giving consumers the ability to password protect their transactions.

Speaking out about the financial farce, Google expressed relief at finally being able to put the matter to bed.

"We're glad to put this matter behind us so we can focus on creating more ways for people to enjoy all the entertainment they love," said a Google spokeswoman.

[source: Techcrunch]