Epic Games to Pay $520 Million for Using Deceptive Patterns on Children

[Bomby569]

the kids were targeted and manipulated, so it's the parents fault for not locking them in the basement with no internet

 

[windwhirl]

instead of the parents

Parents tend to be stupid these days.

Parents are responsible for teaching their children how the world works, what to do and not do. Children are extremely susceptible, gullible and ignorant at a young age. And parents should look out for them.

 

[Bomby569]

Children are extremely susceptible, gullible and ignorant at a young age. And parents should look out for them.

That's exactly why companies shouldn't use them to get money.
I'm sure you've never dealt with kids

 

[Ravenmaster]

Now they just need to drop the same hammer on EA, Activision Blizzard and Valve for using the same shady practices

 

[zlobby]

Tip of the iceberg...

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

LMAO ok. "Used Dark Patterns"

I think "Dark Patterns" in this context is a term referring to deceptive designs, like those ads that are just a Download button would be.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Do people know Epic Games is owned by Tencent these days? Just curious

Do i even care who owns what?

If i want privacy i will unplug the internet and go live on a island all by myself.

People are so freaking paranoid these days.

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Why the fuck is Epic's statement the source?
Here's the FTC source

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Parents fault is not an exculpatory factor for the criminal practices of corporations. They are cleverly designed enough to affect well-behaved children (as well as mature adults, which, however, is no longer defined as a crime because all adults are assumed to be capable of responding properly, and if not, then they themselves are to blame and must suffer the consequences of "their" mistake).

 

[Sybaris_Caesar]

Some of the complaints I saw were:
1) NO confirm button when buying
2) small-ass refund button
3) No CVV confirmation on saved CC

Even Epic's advisors and employees raised the issue internally it looks like.

And it's not like Epic's a public company with shareholders to please every second. Tim "liar liar pants on fire" Sweeney is still the controlling owner.

 

[Shihab]

Torn between my hatred for dark patterns, and for lazy, irresponsible parents. But I suppose every improvement to the whole market benefits both smart and idiot alike.

That said, this thread needs to tone down on the whataboutary and conspiracy theories.
The FTC's own release on the subject reads:

FTC has brought similar claims against companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Google for billing consumers millions of dollars for in-app purchases made by children while playing mobile app games without obtaining their parents’ consent.

You'd be hard pressed to find any major corp not fined nor sued by a regulator somewhere these days.

but it should hurt, it should change the behaviour.

It should, and it did. Check the statement linked in the OP.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Oh dang there goes their Christmas week profits on Fortnite, boohoo

 

[erek]

I think by definition, that 51% is the controlling stake. Tencent may be the 2nd largest shareholder but they don't control it. Probably why Sweeney kept his shares above 50%.

Anyway, way before Tencent became the player they are, companies were already using these tactics.

Aren’t they divisive and diversionary tactics tho?

 

[ThrashZone]

I suspect Epic will be passing this $520 Million burden onto the consumer.

Hi,
I can see why epic free game offers are pretty bad atm

Those addicted fortnite kids have very bad parents is all i see.
Games started out as a activity to keep kids busy = well guess what it worked you reap what you sow
Violence sells send them to military schools

Parents overlook a lot that their kids do, to many blinders used.

 

[erek]

Parents tend to be stupid these days.

Patents ahead of parents is probably the company and common mindset these days

 

[eidairaman1]

Oh dear, the world's most caring, sharing company got nailed for exploitatively manipulating the vulnerable. Terrible decision.

Epic became failure when they stopped producing Unreal/Unreal Tournament and created Fortnite.

 

[AusWolf]

How many times I said that Fortnite and Overwatch are games for children, and everybody around me was like: "nooo, theiz fukin' aint, mate".

 

[ThrashZone]

How many times I said that Fortnite and Overwatch are games for children, and everybody around me was like: "nooo, theiz fukin' aint, mate".

Hi,
Lots of games screw young and older mentally challenged people up in a false sense of reality
People wonder where psychos come from all you have to do is look at what their parents have ignored for years and they seems the most surprised when they do something odd or really bad to others.

 

[AusWolf]

Hi,
Lots of games screw young and older mentally challenged people up in a false sense of reality
People wonder where psychos come from all you have to do is look at what their parents have ignored for years and they seems the most surprised when they do something odd or really bad to others.

Not exactly what I had in mind, but I agree. No game substitutes good parenting.

 

[KrazyT]

We where kids back in the days ...
Pretty sure I was as "stupido" as the kids are today ...
Not you ?

 

[ThrashZone]

We where kids back in the days ...
Pretty sure I was as "stupido" as the kids are today ...
Not you ?

Hi,
Large difference between ages is gaming and music content compared to now.
We would be messed even more.

Artistic expression has become a large issue.

 

[the54thvoid]

Games don't defile the mind. Enough studies have shown that. Same way certain horror films don't create monsters.

But troubled minds may be drawn to certain things - games or music, for example.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
No study can handle the entire population
The touble area is when blood soaked violence is normalize by may mainstream sources for $$$$$$

And game ... rating aren't taken seriously by parents

VR will be a lot of more fun

 

[chrcoluk]

Guessing nothing in UK as usual.

 

[damric]

Let's give Little Timmy our credit card information. What could go wrong?