‘Fortnite’ class action lawsuit: Appeals court rejects Epic Games’ request

This is a translation from CTV News Montreal.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Sylvain Lussier authorized the class action and Appeals Court Judge Guy Cournoyer wrote the decision dismissing the appeal, saying he found nothing wrong with Lussier’s ruling.

The case can now continue.

Three Quebec parents have sued Epic Games, alleging that the creators of the game Fortnite Battle Royale The game was intentionally designed to be “highly addictive” and that the game was responsible for causing psychological, physical, and financial harm to their children (who are minors). They are asking for compensation that will be determined later. None of these claims have been proven in court and a court date will be set soon.

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The Fortnite creator was ordered to pay $520 million to settle complaints in late 2022 about children’s privacy and payment methods that led players to make unintended purchases, according to the Federal Security Commission. US Commerce (FTC).

The settlement is divided into a $245 million payment order for “dark pattern” practices (dark patterns) and billing, and a $275 million fine for collecting personal information from players under 13 without telling their parents.

dark models (dark patterns) are online deception techniques used to trick players into doing things they did not intend to do.

“Fortnite’s unintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button design has resulted in players incurring unwanted fees from pressing a single button,” the FTC said. “These tactics have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized consumer charges.”