【Peter North Jenna Jameson - Priceless (1995)】

Source：Creation Information Network Editor：Shopping Time：2025-06-26 11:49:28

The Peter North Jenna Jameson - Priceless (1995)Federal Trade Commission has its sights set on the video game industry.

Less than a month after the FTC sued to stopMicrosoft’s blockbuster acquisitionof Activision Blizzard, the regulatory agency is back to put the hammer downon Fortnite. Specifically, the game’s developer Epic Games has been ordered to pay a combined $520 million in penalties for violations of data privacy laws and for accidental monetary charges within Fortnite.

It’s the largest penalty the FTC has ever issued.

You May Also Like

The fine’s staggering size makes more sense once you realize it comes in two parts. Epic has to pay a $275 million fine for collecting personal data (the FTC’s release didn’t specify what kind of data) from players younger than 13 without parental consent. Not only that, but Epic apparently failed to honor requests from parents to delete younger players’ data. The FTC is also ordering Epic to make voice and text chat features opt-in rather than on by default.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

SEE ALSO: The 'real' metaverse already exists and it's called 'Fortnite'

As for the other $245 million, Epic will pay that in the form of a refund for using what the FTC called “dark patterns.” In layman’s terms, those are manipulative user interfaces that make it easy to spend money unintentionally through idle button presses and whatnot. The FTC said Fortniteplayers have lost money by accidentally being charged during loading screens, while booting the game up, or while trying to preview paid cosmetic items.

What’s worse is that Epic apparently would lock users out of their accounts if they tried to dispute a charge on their card. The FTC’s order prohibits Epic from using these tactics going forward.

Related Stories

The FTC is trying to stop Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard
The 'real' metaverse already exists and it's called 'Fortnite'
You can play 'Fortnite' on your iPhone again, thanks to the Xbox cloud
I was four years late to 'Fortnite,' and I love it with zero regrets
'Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion' is the perfect holiday gaming binge

To Epic’s credit, the company isn’t fighting any of this. In a press releaseof its own, Epic owned up to its mistakes, though it laid some of the blame at obsolete laws.

“No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here. The video game industry is a place of fast-moving innovation, where player expectations are high and new ideas are paramount. Statutes written decades ago don’t specify how gaming ecosystems should operate. The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough. We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.”

Considering Fortnite’s massive player base (the FTC said it has 400 million players worldwide) and younger audience, it makes sense for the FTC to step in and levy these fines. The game generates several billion dollarsin revenue each year, so Epic won’t be on the verge of bankruptcy or anything because of this. But as someone who really enjoys Fortniteat its best, I can’t say I’ll miss the UI practices the FTC is trying to get rid of.

Topics Fortnite

Previous：Best robot vacuum deal: Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop $300 off at Amazon

【Peter North Jenna Jameson - Priceless (1995)】

Related Articles

Related Recommendations

Categories

Latest Articles

Popular Articles

Hot Recommendations

Featured Column

Quick Links

Quick Links