James Doty a Federal Trade Commission attorney said that Fortnite players will have a $245 million refund for allegedly enabling kids to buy things with gaming money without asking a parent or cardholder for permission.
James Doty a Federal Trade Commission attorney said that Fortnite players will have a $245 million refund for allegedly enabling kids to buy things with gaming money without asking a parent or cardholder for permission.
The Lawsuit
Fortnite’s creator, Epic Games, company was penalized for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the corporation was fined for deceiving users into making in-game purchases using a method known as “dark patterns.”
It was first penalized with a $520 million fine for the violation and manipulation. Parents and cardholders complained that hundreds of dollars worth of Fortnite transactions had been placed on their cards without their consent. According to the Federal Trade Commission that Fortnite’s tactics led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized charges for consumers.
In repose to the accusation, Epic Games claimed that agree on accepting the charge as they already evolved and want Epic to provide the best experience for their player. Out of the $520 million, $245 million will be returned to clients as reimbursements.
Who Will be Eligible For The Refund?
There are three different groups who are eligible for a cut of the reimbursement. Parents of children who made illicit purchases in the game between January 2017 and November 2018 make up the first group.
Players who had their accounts frozen as a result of contesting charges to their accounts make up the second category. Players who were unintentionally charged Fortnite’s currency between January 2017 and September 2022 for products they did not intend to purchase make up the third category.
