FTC fines Epic Games $520 million
Epic Games has a fine of US$520 million to pay as part of a settlement with the US consumer protection agency (FTC). The latter accused the studio of not having sufficiently protected underage players of its flagship game, Fortnite. Part of that amount, 275 million dollars, refers to claims related to the collection of data from underage players, as well as their exposure to adults. The remainder, 245 million, refers to in-game purchases made by minors who were unaware they were making a payment.
The FTC found that Epic Games deployed several tactics to encourage unintentional virtual purchases, such as skins and emotes, in Fortnite, including the use of counter-intuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configurations. “These tactics have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized consumer charges,” reveals the FTC.
The FTC also alleged that Epic Games intentionally hid void and refund features to make them harder to find and that the company blocked the accounts of customers who disputed unauthorized charges with the company that managed their accounts.
Even when Epic Games agreed to unblock an account, consumers were warned that they risked being banned for life if they disputed any future charges.
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