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Dutch regulator fines Fornite-maker Epic Games €1.1M for ads aimed at kids
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic Games 1,125,000 euros for “using unfair commercial practices aimed at children in its Fortnite game.” According to the Dutch regulator, the game maker pressured kids to make in-game purchases with targeted ads in multiple ways.
In the popular game Fortnite, children’s vulnerabilities were exploited, and were thus pressured into making purchases,” said ACM board member Cateautje Hijmans van den Bergh. “Children were thus put under pressure to make purchase decisions quickly because they were under the impression that they would otherwise miss out on the items on offer,” the ACM said, fining Epic Games 562,500 for that violation. The Dutch regulator called it a “dark pattern” that violates the “requirements of professional diligence.” Instead of taking more care to protect children, “Epic actually exploited these types of vulnerabilities.”
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