The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken a hard stance on consumer protection and has issued two of the largest settlements in its history against Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite game series. On Monday, the FTC announced that Epic must pay a total of $520 million for two violations; the first, $275 million, is for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the second, $245 million, is for manipulating design features to make it difficult for consumers to cancel or refund purchases.
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) said in a statement that this action showed that the FTC is taking steps to protect young people from predatory practices. Markey also called for COPPA, which is more than 20 years old, to be updated to cover older children as well as those under 13.
Epic Games responded by saying that the FTC’s complaints were about past practices that were common in the gaming industry, and that they are committed to providing the best experience for their players. The company wants to be at the forefront of consumer protection.
Any consumers who think they may have been affected by Epic Games’ violations should check out the FTC link for more information on what to do next. The FTC is continuing to enforce consumer protection laws and is making sure industry leaders are held accountable.