'Fortnite' maker Epic Games will pay a total of $520 million to settle allegations that it collected personal data from children without first obtaining the consent of their parent or guardian, the FTC says.
The maker of the popular online video game"Fortnite" has agreed to pay a record settlement to resolve charges it violated children's privacy, exposed children and teenagers to potential harassment, and duped players of all ages into making unwanted in-game purchases.that North Carolina-based Epic Games will pay a total of $520 million to settle allegations that it collected personal data from children without first obtaining the consent of their parent or guardian.
Epic is also accused of exposing children and teenagers to bullying, threats, harassment and dangerous and psychologically traumatizing issues such as suicide while using Fortnite through the game's default live voice and text function. And players of all ages were tricked into buying online credits via what the FTC called"counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing" button configuration, a phenomenon known asthat allegedly earned Epic hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized charges to consumers.
As part of the settlement, Epic neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, though it has agreed to overhaul its privacy policies and chat and text functions, as well as reconfigure how it charges game users. “Epic put children and teens at risk through its lax privacy practices, and cost consumers millions in illegal charges through its use of dark patterns,” Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “Under the proposed orders announced today, the company will be required to change its default settings, return millions to consumers, and pay a record-breaking penalty for its privacy abuses.
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Fortnite maker Epic Games to pay $520M to settle FTC casesVideo game company Epic Games is paying a total of $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints involving children's privacy and methods that tricked players into making purchases.
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Fortnite maker Epic Games to pay $520M to settle FTC casesVideo game company Epic Games is paying a total of $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints involving children's privacy and methods that tricked players into making purchases.
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Fortnite maker Epic Games to pay $520M to settle FTC casesVideo game company Epic Games is paying a total of $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints involving children's privacy and methods that tricked players into making purchases.
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Fortnite maker Epic Games to pay $520M to settle FTC casesVideo game company Epic Games is paying a total of $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints involving children's privacy and methods that tricked players into making purchases.
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