According to figures released this week Apple iOS users have now downloaded 50 million apps. And Google says it’s close to the same figure for Android apps too. Between the two of them they account for the majority of the smartphone market. Despite the fact that Brits only pay for one in ten apps, that’s still an awful lot of money being spend on them.

If you buy anything from a highstreet store you’re covered by consumer protection laws, that is (loosely) if there’s something wrong with it or you feel it was missold to you, you have a right to take it back within a certain period of time. The same applies for ecommerce purchases too, but it doesn’t actually apply for apps or downloaded music.

Each company with an app store has it’s own terms and conditions when it comes to downloading apps. Both Apple and Blackberry state that the sale of an app is final – you might not know that you agreed to this when you read the terms and conditions! In Google’s case it’s a little different, they offer a generous 15 minutes to return Android apps.

It’s causing some concern in the EU. A study conducted for the EU Commission suggests Europeans are losing 64 billion euros (approx £55 billion) a year due to the lack of clear regulation. This, coupled with the staggering rise in the popularity of smartphones and tablets and the apps which go with them, has lead to German lawmakers voting unanimously on the right to return mobile apps.

However it may not be that easy. The problem is that companies like Apple set terms and conditions before you’re even allowed to access the app store, which effectively sign away our rights under EU consumer regulations, so even if the law did change, it would make little difference.

As times goes on and apps become an even more integral part of everyday life, Apple and other mobile companies maybe forced to reconsider their stance on this. But for now, think twice before you download!

Tags: android, Apple, apps, ecommerce, mobile, mobile applications, mobile apps