The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially finalized the decision of Epic Games Company based on patent infringement. This verdict declares the publisher of the popular game Fortnite He is obliged to pay a fine of 245 million dollars. The FTC says Epic Games used “dark patterns” to trick Fortnite gamers into buying paid in-game items.
meaning of Dark pattern, some deceptive techniques in the design of websites and user interfaces of services and games. Dark patterns are designed with the purpose of tricking the user into a certain scenario and making them do things they didn’t intend to do; Such as buying a product or providing a subscription service. One of the experts in the field of user interface design has found more than 400 examples of dark patterns in the service of companies such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Adobe.
to report single spotEpic Games’ $245 million fine is the result of two lawsuits filed last year. The lawsuits allege that Epic Games is deceiving Fortnite gamers in order to increase the game’s revenue.
Epic Games’ $245 million fine has been finalized while the company is one of the main critics of Apple’s policies. Tim SweeneyThe CEO of Epic Games considers Apple to be a monopolistic company and says that the policies of the App Store to receive a commission of 15-30% are unfair and aimed at generating revenue.
At the end of 2022, another $275 million fine was planned for Epic Games; Fines related to violations of the Child Online Protection Act.
The Federal Trade Commission says people who inadvertently bought into Fortnite’s in-app purchases didn’t get a warning. These people were often children who bought Fortnite items without their parents’ knowledge.
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s findings, the structure of Fortnite’s built-in options is unusual, inconsistent, and confusing, leading the user into a predetermined scenario for in-app purchases. In this particular case, Fortnite gamers regardless of age can make a purchase by pressing just one option. In most cases, the purchase process is done without warning and does not require user authentication.
As a result of Fortnite’s dark pattern, many gamers have inadvertently purchased in-game items. The structure of Fortnite caused some children to buy items without their parents’ knowledge. In addition to criticizing Epic Games’ deceptive policy, the Federal Trade Commission has said that the company locked out the accounts of users who legitimately tried to get their money back.
The $245 million fine received from Epic Games will be used to refund gamers. The Federal Trade Commission has said that Epic Games has no right to close the accounts of users who object to these unwanted purchases.
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