Epic faces a hefty fine
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is targeting Fortnite developer Epic Games. Numerous violations of child protection law lead to hefty fines. It’s about millions.
Epic Games has to pay penalties
When you hear the name Epic Games, many people think of the game Fortnite first. This co-op survival shooter is played almost worldwide and is regularly updated with new content. Here, however, the company has apparently not paid attention to all laws, which is why it is now more than $500 million in fines has to pay (source: FTC).
The Fortnite developer was accused of several offenses. For one, they would have violate child protection laws. Epic Games would have collected the data of players under the age of 13 without the legally required parental consent. In addition, chatting with adult gamers would have harmed the children and young people due to threats, harassment and psychologically traumatizing topics.
As a solution, it is Epic Games now prohibited from allowing voice and text communications to minors, unless there is express permission from the parents. There was also talk of billing practices that led players of all ages to make unwanted purchases, sometimes resulting in the accumulation of charges.
The FTC also alleges that Epic Games Player accounts banned who disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies, preventing them from accessing purchased content. The company will be prohibited from doing so in the future.
As a result, Epic Games now has to pay $275 million for child protection violations and $245 million in compensation for those who were tricked into making unwanted charges.
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Epic Games wants to improve
Unsurprisingly, Epic Games sees things differently: The agreement has now been approved because Epic Games wants to be at the top of consumer protection and offer players the best experience. For years the company has been working on changes to meet the expectations of regulators (Source: EpicGames).
“We will continue to be open about what players can expect when they make a purchase, we will make sure cancellations and refunds are easy, and we will put in place safeguards that help ensure our ecosystem is safe and open to viewers of all ages.” It’s fun,” Epic Games said in a statement.
