FTC AS Fine Epic Games Rp4.2 Trillion Due To Access To Youth User Data Without Permit

Fortnite game developer Epic Games was fined by the United States (US) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (photo: dock. epic games)

The game developer Fortnite, Epic Games was fined by the United States (US) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for violating the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

"Epic uses privacy and interface invasive default settings that deceive Fortnite users, including teenagers and children," FTC chairman Lina M. Khan said in a press release quoted on Tuesday, December 20.

Khan menyatakan, Epic Games mengumpulkan informasi pribadi anak-anak di bawah usia 13 tahun tanpa terlebih dahulu meminta persetujuan orang tua mereka.

The US Department of Justice has filed a federal court order that forced Epic Games to pay a total of $520 million, which is equivalent to IDR 8.09 trillion, which is divided into two fine payments.

A total of 275 million US dollars (Rp4.2 trillion) for violating COPPA and an additional 245 million US dollars (Rp 3.8 trillion) in refunds to customers. This is the biggest fine the FTC has ever imposed for the rules it enforces.

Epic Games is also required to update Fortnite, where voice and text communication must be defaultly disabled for children and adolescents playing the game.

By fines Epic Games, it reflects the high focus of the FTC on game users' privacy. "Protecting the public, and especially children, from an online privacy invasion and a dark pattern is a top priority of the FTC, and this enforcement action explains to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on this unlawful practice," Khan said.

In response to this, Epic said the rules reflect the evolution in how US laws are applied to the video game industry.

"No developer has made the game with the intention of ending here. We accept this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players," Epic Games said in its official blog post.

Recently, the FTC has become more stringent in terms of the video game industry. Earlier this month, the FTC made headlines in the game industry when announcing it would file a lawsuit with Microsoft over Activision Blizzard's upcoming acquisition.