Epic Games opts to pay $520 million fine to settle allegations.
Epic Games, the company behind the popular video game “Fortnite”, agreed to pay the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) $520 million to settle allegations that it illegally collected personal information and tricked children into making purchases within the video game. “Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,” stated FTC Chair Lina Khan.
The video game did not include explicit yes/no choices when presenting users with pay-to-progress options nor provide any clear option to save or not save their payment information after making an in-game purchase. Epic Games was fined a record $275 million for violating children’s privacy and will refund $245 million to customers who made unknown purchases through Fortnite.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chair Lina Khan as she heads the Federal Trade Commission.
- For U.S. officials as they seek to protect the privacy of American children.
- For Director Samuel Levine as he manages the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Sources: AP, Reuters
