United States of America: Adopted FTC claims process for Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted items, enforcing reached settlement

On 19 September 2023, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) initiated a claims process for Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted in-game items. This action follows a settlement with Epic Games in March 2023, where Epic Games was accused of using deceptive practices and dark patterns to encourage players to make unintended purchases in Fortnite. The FTC's complaint, first announced in December 2022, alleged that Epic Games employed various design patterns to entice players, regardless of their age, into making unintended in-game purchases. The company also facilitated unauthorised charges by children without parental consent and locked the accounts of consumers who disputed these charges with their credit card companies. A part of the USD 245 million settlement with Epic Games will be used to provide refunds to affected consumers. The FTC started notifying over 37 million people via email about their potential eligibility for compensation, a process expected to take one month. Consumers have until 17 January 2024 to submit a claim. The Epic Games is required to pay for the consumer's compensation.