Starting from today, US parents whose kids had purchases made on the popular game Fortnite without their consent can apply for a reimbursement.
The US regulator alleged that the game had misled its players into making purchases they had not intended to make and had violated their privacy.
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, has decided to remunerate customers with a total of $245m (£198m) in the coming year.
The FTC has now initiated the steps to notify 37 million individuals regarding the available compensation.
Fortnite is renowned globally, having notched up over 400 million users. Although the video game is free to download, revenue is generated through in-game purchases.
The FTC alleged that Epic Games utilized "deceptive interfaces" that could activate purchases during game loading, as well as having default settings that violated people's privacy.
It reached a settlement agreement for a sum of $520m with Epic Games concerning its grievances.
This entails a fine of $275m in connection to how Fortnite gathers information on its customers, including those younger than 13, without notifying parents.
This is the highest penalty ever imposed by the FTC for violating a regulation.
The remainder of the compensation will be given back as reimbursements.
Even though there is not a comparable deal in the UK, Matthew Weissinger, who is the vice president of marketing at Epic Games, informed the UK government that it will be reimbursing parents in the UK when their children make purchases without their consent.
The BBC has inquired of Epic Games and authorities in the UK as to whether any reimbursement will be available to shoppers in Britain.
Refunds of in-game purchases, including outfits and loot boxes, as well as V-Bucks (Fortnite's virtual currency), will be issued per the terms of the US agreement.
Individuals who have been contacted by the FTC must submit their request by January 2024.
Claims from individuals in the United States who were charged for items they did not request between the period January 2017 and September 2022 are eligible.
Those who assert that their child made a purchase with their credit card without their knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018 are specifically included in this.
Those whose Fortnite accounts were made unavailable after they reported wrongful charges to their credit card company may ask for recompense.
Epic Games declared that modifications were implemented in Fornite to take on the difficulty of inadvertent in-game buys when the settlement was first announced.
Developers have put in place a range of parental controls, a spending cap for gamers under the age of 13, and high privacy settings as the default for kids.
Epic asserted that, despite laws remaining unchanged, the way they are applied has shifted and that the time-honoured practices of the industry are no longer sufficient.
We agreed to this deal so that Epic can remain an industry leader in protecting consumers and secure the best possible experience for our players.
The organization has since made it clear that the FTC is responsible for the disbursal of recompense, and participants who are worried should reach out to the agency directly on its website.
Comments