The FTC finalizes a $245M fine leveled against Epic Games to make refunds to Fortnite players. The supposed free game made a huge gain off of accidental charges. And right now, Epic Games will have to give some of the profits back.
The FTC Finalizes $245M Fine Leveled Against Epic Games
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday finalized an order requiring Fortnite developer Epic Games to pay $245 million in fines for utilizing “dark patterns” in a bid to trick players into making unwanted or unauthorized charges on the platform.
Fortnite employed a “counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration” that forced or duped players into making unwanted charges with the press of just a single button, as per an FTC press release. Furthermore, there was no purchase authorization process, thus enabling minors which as you should know is a large demographic of the popular battle royale game to rack up charges without any form of parental consent.
The FTC Order Is Part of a Bigger Agreement between the Company and the Agency
The order of the FTC is part of a bigger agreement between the commission and Epic Games from December 2022. And according to a press release from Epic Games, the video game developer accepted the agreement in its effort “to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.”
Epic Games Has Taken Measures to Stop Unwanted Charges on the Platform
Ever since the agreement, Epic Games has taken measures to stop unwanted charges on the platform, such as greater clarity when it comes to saving payment information and a “hold-to-purchase mechanic” in a bid to verify the user’s intent to buy.
Epic games also updated its chargeback policy to account for non-fraudulent charge disputes. Prior to this, a chargeback automatically would disable the account of the user as a fraud-prevention measure. And right now, Epic Games only restricts account access when signs of fraudulent activities are present.
Epic Games Has Eight Days to Pay the Complete Fine
Epic Games has eight days from the day the order was finalized to pay the complete fine. The FTC on its end will distribute the funds to impacted users at its discretion, although there is currently no timeframe as to when users can expect a refund, as per an FTC spokesperson.
Players who suspect that they have been charged wrongfully for purchases on Fortnite can visit FTC.gov/Fortnite for more information in regards to the whole process of the refund
