According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a US trade watchdog, Epic Games used privacy-invading settings and deceptive user interfaces that deceived users, including teenagers and children.
Through “inconsistent and confusing buttons,” the gaming giant tricked “Fortnite” users into making purchases they didn’t want to make with the push of a button.
According to the FTC, the fines are the highest ever imposed for violations of the regulator’s rules. The settlement consists of a $275 million fine and $245 million in consumer rebates.
The survival game “Fortnite”, available in three different versions, has more than 400 million users worldwide. It is free to download, but you can buy different clothes for the characters in the game. It has many younger users as the game does not contain violent scenes or sexualized violence.
Epic Games said in a statement that as a result of the deal, it has removed certain elements of the game, including the “lucky bags” that serve as an in-game game. Lucky bags contain random wins that are basically for play only.
Recently, it became known that a Canadian judge approved a lawsuit filed by parents who believe that their children have become addicted to the game “Fortnite”. The Quebec judge made the decision after hearing arguments from three parents describing how their children developed symptoms of “severe addiction”. One of the children must have played at least three hours a day for two years.
