Epic Games to Refund Fortnite $245 Million After Violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
By Movieguide® Staff
The Federal Trade Commission recently issued Epic Games, the developer behind the popular video game Fortnite, with a record $520 million penalty for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and tricking users into unwanted purchases.
According to CNBC, of the $520 million, Epic Games will be forced to pay $240 million in customer refunds.
Eligible customers include, “parents whose kids made unauthorized purchases in the Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018, players who were charged Fortnite’s in-game currency for items they didn’t intend to buy between January 2017 and September 2022, and players who disputed unauthorized charges with their credit card companies and, as a result, had their accounts locked,” CNBC reported.
Movieguide® previously reported of the lawsuit:
Epic Games, the developer known for the massively popular video game Fortnite, recently paid $520 million in two settlements with the Federal Trade Commission due to violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
According to the lawsuits, Epic Games tricked millions of players into making unintentional purchases.
FTC Chair Lina Khan addressed the lawsuit in a statement, noting Epic Games “deceptive interfaces” that targeted children.
“As our complaints note, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,” Khan explained. “Protecting the public, and especially children, from online privacy invasions and dark patterns is a top priority for the Commission, and these enforcement actions make clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.”
“The Justice Department takes very seriously its mission to protect consumers’ data privacy rights,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta told Deadline. “This proposed order sends a message to all online providers that collecting children’s personal information without parental consent will not be tolerated.”
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