Epic Games, creators of the video games Fortnite and Fall Guys, will pay $520 million in a settlement worked out with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC determined Epic Games had been collecting personal, private information on children under 13, a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The agency also said that when it didn’t outright ignore parents’ requests to delete their children’s data, the game maker forced parents to “jump through hoops” to get the data deleted.
“The FTC action comes at a moment of heightened public concern over the mental health, safety and privacy risks that some popular social media networks and multiplayer video games may pose to children and teenagers,” The New York Times said. “The record fine [the highest previous fine was $170 million against Google for illegally harvesting children’s data on YouTube] also sends a clear signal that the FTC is following through on pledges from Lina Khan, the commission’s chair, to take a more assertive stance toward the tech industry.”
SOURCE:
The New York Times December 19, 2022