Epic Games Ordered To Pay $245 Million In Refunds To Fortnite Players Tricked Into ‘Unwanted Charges’
As many of our readers are doubtlessly aware, the issue of online security has been thrust into the public spotlight in recent months. This is of course due in no small part to the Equifax breach, which affected an estimated 143 million people.
However, there is another, equally important story that has been largely overshadowed by the Equifax breach. I am, of course, referring to the story of Epic Games and their recent troubles with the Federal Trade Commission.
For those who are not aware, Epic Games is the company behind the incredibly popular video game Fortnite. In addition to being one of the most popular games in the world, Fortnite is also one of the most popular games on Twitch, a live streaming platform owned by Amazon.
The issue at hand is that Epic Games has been accused of tricking Fortnite players into making unwanted purchases. This is of course a serious allegation, and one that the FTC has taken very seriously.
As a result of their investigation, the FTC has ordered Epic Games to pay $245 million in refunds to Fortnite players who were tricked into making unwanted purchases. This is a significant sum of money, and it is sure to have a significant impact on the company.
Of course, this is not the first time that a video game company has been accused of tricking players into making unwanted purchases. In fact, it is not even the first time that Epic Games has been accused of such behavior.
In 2012, the company was accused of tricking players of the game Infinity Blade into making unwanted in-app purchases. The company agreed to refund $5 million to affected players, and they also agreed to change their practices.
Clearly, the issue of unwanted in-app purchases is one that Epic Games has yet to adequately address. This is a serious problem, and one that the company needs to take seriously.
It is not enough for Epic Games to simply refund the money to affected players. The company needs to take steps to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.
Otherwise, they are likely to find themselves in hot water with the FTC once again. And this time, the consequences could be even more severe.
