As a result of their ongoing lawsuit with the popular video game company Epic Games, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently gave the public announcement that they will be receiving a whopping $520 million to indefinitely settle consumer complaints that pertain to the privacy of children. Officially brought to the eyes and ears of the public this past Monday, December 19, 2022, the FTC claims that Epic Games repeatedly violated “COPPA law by deploying design tactics to get kids to download in-game content that costs real-world money and obtaining personal information from Fornite players under 13 without parental consent,” according to the announcement.”
FTC Chairman Lina M. Khan was the first to publicize the business’s wrongdoings through a lengthy statement vocalized during an exclusive interview: “Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children… Protecting the public, and especially children, from online privacy invasions and dark patterns is a top priority for the Commission, and these enforcement actions make clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.” Once the total sum of $520 million is officially paid and processed, the entirety of this specific lawsuit should swiftly fade away as Epic Games and Fortnite continue their animated video game journey.