• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, November 13, 2018

The Federal Trade Commission should investigate “manipulative marketing practices” by apps aimed at preschoolers, Senate Democrats say.

“Children should be able to entertain themselves and play without being bombarded by promotional messages, which young people may not be able to accurately assess and identify as marketing,” Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) write in a letter sent to the FTC Tuesday.

The letter comes two weeks after a coalition of advocacy groups made a similar request. The lawmakers, like the advocates, cite the recent University of Michigan Medical School study, "Advertising in Young Children’s Apps: A Content Analysis," which found that 95% of free Android apps aimed at children younger than 6 contained ads.

For that study, researchers examined 135 Android apps, including 96 of the most popular Android apps, aimed at children ages 5 and younger. Nearly half (46%) of all apps studied -- and 67% of the apps available for free -- ran ads prompting users to purchase a more complete version. Around 30% of the apps contained ads for in-app purchases, like tokens used in the games.

Some of the ads were camouflaged in items that appeared in the games, the study found. One game mentioned in the study, and referenced by the lawmakers, offers players who watch a video ad the opportunity to obtain “more effective medicines” to treat sick animals.

Markey and the others say this type of ad integration makes it “nearly impossible for young children to distinguish advertising from harmless fun.”

“The FTC has a statutory obligation to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive advertising practices,” the lawmakers write. “As parents permit kids to engage in online games and apps for entertainment and fun, it is imperative to ensure that these playtime options are compliant with existing laws.”

The lawmakers are asking the FTC to respond by December 4.