A time-saving, one-click order could backfire as many Amazon Kindle Fire owners are finding their children charging downloads, books and games.
The one-click ordering is a feature of the Amazon Android tablet, making it easier to sell its own merchandise, according to Reuters.
So that means that the itchy fingers of toddlers can click way, including the 3-year-old daughter of Scenic Labs founder Jason Rosenfeld. He says his daughter was using the device and clicked on an image of a children's product that appeared on the screen because it was in his shopping history -- he had browsed the item while holiday shopping on his PC.
Rosenfeld said that he was able to cancel the purchase after receiving an e-mail confirmation about the order.
The more disturbing thing is that once credit card information is stored in a device, the one-click shopping can be activated by anyone, children or strangers. That means it's a pretty big security problem.
Amazon declined to answer the concerns made by Reuters, instead saying in a statement, "We do provide customers with parental controls for purchasing in-app items." Amazon said it would also create additional controls.
But most buyers this holiday season will likely look past the charging-abuse issue, mainly because of the $199 price.
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Despite the controversy, concerned parents can do themselves a favor (aside from giving 3-year-olds a tablet computer) by not preloading their credit card information into the device. A better idea is gifting the child with a bank account and debit card of his or her own (or if you can stand the $3 to $10 monthly fees, a reloadable prepaid credit card.) That way kids won't have access to your credit and may learn how to budget their own spending.
