BILLED

Fortnite Developer Epic Games to Pay $520M for Duping Kids

The game developer agreed to settlements for collecting kids’ information without consent, and fooling them into making unwanted purchases.

Online game developer Epic Games has agreed to pay $520 million to settle allegations from two separate cases that it duped children into making unwanted purchases, and violated children’s privacy by collecting information, the Federal Trade Commission said on Monday. The developer of games like Fortnite and Fall Guys said it would pay $275 million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by taking personal data from kids under than 13 without parental consent. It will also pay $245 million after it was accused of using “dark patterns,” which are manipulative online practices used to fool players into racking up unintended charges, according to The New York Times. “No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here,” the company said in a statement. “We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.”