Freeing children from the digital spending trap

WHEN our bank accounts are reduced to invisible strings of numbers on a smartphone, it is incredibly easy to forget the value of money. Usually, it is only when the credit card bill arrives that the realisation sets in.

If adults with fully developed brains and steady incomes regularly fall into this digital spending trap, how on earth are children supposed to navigate it?

Take the case of Wilson, a father who let his six- and three-year-old children play games on the family tablet. Without realising what they were doing, the children racked up a RM200 bill buying virtual money for their digital games.

The bank eventually reversed the charge, but the children’s gaming account was permanently banned.

Tech companies have mastered what experts call “frictionless spending”. By using one-click carrier billing, saved credit cards and fingerprint authentication, apps deliberately remove the psychological barriers to parting with your cash

Accidental purchases are just the tip of the iceberg. Behind the colourful, child-friendly graphics of many popular apps lies a deeply manipulative business model.

Studies show that up to 80% of apps targeted at young children contain “dark patterns”. These are deceptive design tricks engineered specifically to manipulate users into spending money.

If your child panicked because a digital pet started to cry after digital food was not bought for it, he or she has been targeted by a dark pattern.

Governments worldwide are waking up to the reality that relying on parents to police every digital interaction is a losing battle. Tech giants are finally being forced to take responsibility for the digital playgrounds they’ve built.

On an international scale, the UN has issued global guidelines, via the UN Human Rights Office, titled “Getting Children’s Safety Online Right”.

This framework demands that governments regulate and tech companies embed child safety directly into platform design rather than shifting the burden to parents. Malaysia is taking a firm stance with the Online Safety Act 2025.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a tech genius to protect your wallet. Here are three steps you can take right now:

1) Kill the “Direct Carrier Billing”: This is the biggest culprit for surprise charges. Open your mobile provider’s app and turn off Direct Carrier Billing. This stops apps from bypassing your credit card and sneaking charges directly onto your monthly phone bill.

2) Turn On “Ask to Buy”: Use the free tools already on your phone. If you use Apple devices, enable “Ask to Buy”. If you’re on Android, set up “Purchase Requests” through Google Family Link. This ensures that every time your child taps “buy”, a notification pops up on your phone asking for a password.

3) Bridge the digital gap: When your child asks to buy virtual currency, pull out a physical RM10 note. Explain what it buys in the real world, like their favourite meal, and explain how long it takes to earn it.

Our children are growing up with more convenience and access than any generation in history.

What they need from us isn’t constant surveillance or a total ban on technology. They need clear boundaries, smart device settings and a little help connecting the numbers on their screens to the real world around them.

ZHANG ZIYIand DR MOHD ISTAJIB MOKHTAR

Department of Science and Technology Studies

Faculty of Science

Universiti Malaya