Millionaire fined Fortnite for ‘manipulating’ his users into spending more on his store

Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world. And despite the fact that shooter, most of its user base is underage. And Epic knows it. However, it seems that for several years he did not erect the most effective protective barriers to protect said public.

They were blamed for this by the FTC, which, after reaching an agreement with Epic, said that the company would have to pay more than $500 million. for violating the rules for the protection of minors and using dark patterns in Fortnite.

According to the US regulator, Epic is guilty of not taking the necessary measures to protect the smallest in Fortnite. And, most importantly, dand use dark patterns (dark patterns) to manipulate your behavior and that they end up spending more money in the game.

First, as part of the settlement between the FTC and the company, Epic will pay a $275 million fine for a COPPA violation, the highest fine ever imposed for a violation of such a rule:

“The FTC claims that these default settings, along with Epic’s role in mixing kids and teens with strangers to play Fortnite together, have harmed kids and teens. Children and adolescents have been bullied, threatened, harassed and faced dangerous and psychologically traumatic problems. like suicide in Fortnite.”

Federal Trade Commission Statement

And not only that, it’s also forcing Epic to take a number of measures regarding Fortnite. The regulator will require changing the default privacy settings for children and teens (a measure recently taken by the company). All this in order to ensure that voice and text communication in Fortnite disabled by default. This must be the adult who controls the minor’s account (such as parents) and the one who must change the basic configuration.

Fortnite is using “Dark Patterns” to force users to buy in-game content

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Second, Epic will have to pay $245 million to reimburse consumers for its shady schemes and billing practices. A form of manipulation known as dark patterns (dark patterns).

According to the FTC, it is proven that over the years the company has implemented many dark patterns designed to manipulate consumers of all ages make unwanted in-game purchases.

The controller indicates that the configuration of the buttons in the game is inconsistent, inconsistent and confusing. And this has led to unwelcome accusations from Fortnite players:

“Players were charged for attempting to wake the game while the game was on the loading screen, or for pressing a nearby button while trying to preview an item. This tactic has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unauthorized payments. consumers.

FTC statement.

For all this, Epic must pay $245 million, which will be used to refund funds to consumers. Additionally, the order prohibits Epic from charging consumers with dark patterns. Or directly charging consumers without obtaining their positive and active consent.