The FTC has warned mobile content providers and marketers that it intends to “police the wireless state,” if they do not do a better job of making it clear to consumers how much they are paying for cellphone downloads and services, AdAge reports. Speaking at a two-day FTC “town hall” forum, commissioner Jonathan Leibowitz said that the FTC would take action against “deceptive or unfair content offers.” The regulator was particularly concerned with messaging, games and video services aimed at children and teens as kids were “quick to click first and ask questions later.” He added, “A mobile phone that gives them easy access to content and purchasing power makes them easy prey for aggressive marketers.”

The FTC’s warning comes just days after consumer advocacy groups The Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Group filed complaints with the Commission asking regulators to actively curb the use of behavioral targeting by requiring users’ specific consent before their personal information and mobile web activity is recorded for ad profiling. The groups were also uneasy with how mobile devices could track a person’s physical movements, and their appeal with children and teens.

• Digital Rights Advocates Take Aim At Mobile Marketing; FTC Filings Seek Curbs On Gathering User Data