Epic Games, the makers of one of the most successful games Fortnite has been alleged of falsely charging their users by using “Dark Patterns” in which users unintentionally pay for something. The charges were imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The company is charged with a violation of Children’s Online Privacy Protection (COPPA). Epic Game has allegedly charged their users for the services without their consent. The company also collected information from the account of children of age below 13 without permission from their parents or guardian.
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US Govt. Strict Penalty Over Epic Games
The U.S. govt. has taken strict action against Epic Games over the children’s privacy violation and has imposed a fine of $520 million on them. The fine is imposed for two causes;
- Customer Refunds- $245 million
- Fine for collecting personal information from their users of age below 13- $275 million
FTC has stated this is the biggest fine that they have ever imposed on any company until now.
Epic Games- “Fortnite” makers Plead Guilty
Epic Games have accepted the fault and have said that they didn’t had any intention of playing foul against their users. They further said that no developer would intentionally play such a trick on their users. However the penalty charges will still remain unchanged and the company will have to pay the charges.
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“Dark Pattern” Trick
Dark Pattern is an interface glitch that makes the users to unintentionally follow a procedure leading to false charges. This includes-
- False Configuration Settings
- Confusing Interface
- Sleep Mode Glitch
- False Preview Buttons
Fortnite’s Counterintuitive and false trick led people to click on a single method payment causing millions of users fall for the unintended charges. The glitch included interface issues like loading screens, sleep mode and pressing a nearby button that would directly lead the user to payment deduction.