This is the first I've heard governments talk about people's time and money being swindled out of them by F2P apps as being a serious problem.

And it is a very real problem. Apps relying on modern psychological loopholes to sell very little content for a lot of in-app dollars or to hawk an unreasonable amount of mindshare for ads is a very real threat to the public and western world efficiency.

I'd actually call you ignorant for that statement of yours. Let me elaborate: not all people game, and thus they don't know that every game tries to suck money out of you in cunning and deciving ways - even it it's called FREE to play. Thinking that every one knows that is ignorant.

The thing with these kind of games is that the parents often download the game on their phone, or allows the kid to download it, thinking it's safe since it's called free to play. It doesn't have any costs attached until you actually go inside the game and play it for a while. Do you honestly believe every parent plays the smurf game, or the simpsons game, or candy crush for themselves FIRST to see if there are any hidden costs, before they give it to their kids?

The fact is, it's far too easy for kids to buy stuff in those games and something has to be done. This is one such thing. Maybe not the best alternative, but it's a bloody start.

This is a little bit shady but free-to-play really is a shady term in itself, and it doesn't describe reality honestly so I think this is OK.

Well, I wish them luck if they blindly go into things because it says "free"

See my AT&T example or any commercial or product that says free. It is the consumer's responsibility to read