Four-year-olds are spending money online, parents told

CHILDREN as young as four are spending money online despite tech firms’ claims that platforms are “safe” for children so young, a study has found.

The survey of 2,000 parents found that 12 per cent experienced their preschool children spending money online despite their age.

Internet Matters, a body that supports parents, said there were often free games advertised as suitable for children of that age but which then went on to request payments from the youngsters before they could advance to another level or buy equipment to boost their character’s performance.

Ghislaine Bombusa, head of digital at Internet Matters, said children often played games on shared or parental devices that meant they could access payments or agree it with their parents.

“We advise parents that if they are downloading something on to a shared device or to their own device, they should have a good look around it and check it,” she said. “If there is insufficient information, don’t download it.”

The survey also revealed that nearly one in 12 (8 per cent) of four and fiveyear-olds had stumbled across sexual content. A similar proportion (7 per cent) had suffered online trolling while one in eight (13 per cent) had viewed violent content.

The survey found two in five parents (43 per cent) were concerned about their children spending money online in games and apps. Internet Matters has launched a hub to help parents address the issue of children’s online spending.