Epic Games Fined for Targeting Children with Fortnite Advertising
The ACM investigated Fortnite’s in-game store (Item Shop) and found it pressured children to buy items through unfair tactics and has fined it for the same
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) fined Epic Games €1.1 million (roughly $1.2 million USD) for unfair commercial practices aimed at children in Fortnite. The ACM concluded that by using these and other methods, “Epic exploited the vulnerabilities of children.
The Investigation
The ACM investigated Fortnite’s in-game store (Item Shop) and found it pressured children to buy items through tactics like:
- Direct prompts: Ads with phrases like “Get it now” or “Buy now” were seen as aggressive and illegal marketing towards children.
- Misleading timers: Countdown timers for items created a sense of urgency (fear of missing out) and potentially misled children.
- Unclear availability: The lack of clear information on when items would be available or removed made impulsive purchases more likely.
The ACM believes these tactics exploit children’s vulnerabilities and has imposed Fines which amount to:
€562,500: This fine addressed the aggressive marketing tactics used in the Item Shop.
€562,500: This fine targeted the misleading countdown timers.
Changes Required by June 10th
Remove countdown timers: This eliminates the pressure created by a ticking clock.
Show refresh times: Players will see the exact time the Item Shop refreshes with new items.
Display item availability: Each item will show its exact removal date, providing clarity on purchase decisions.
Limited offerings for younger players: Players under 18 in the Netherlands will only see items guaranteed to be available for 48 hours or more, giving them more time to consider purchases.
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The Binding Instruction
ACM has also given binding instructions to Epic to implement the changes before June 10
In the words of ACM, “ACM imposes a binding instruction that must be implemented before June 10, 2024. Epic must end the violation, and it can do so by reducing the uncertainty regarding the availability of its offerings in the Item Shop, and by extending the decision period for children under the age of 18 years regarding purchases in the Item Shop.”
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Epic’s Response
The agency is in constant touch with Epic and has been told that it “plans to implement several changes to Fortnite’s Item Shop in order to end the violation.” Those changes include the removal of countdown timers from the Item Shop, plans to show the “local time indicating when the Item Shop will be refreshed, and, for each item, it will show the date on which that item will disappear from the Item Shop.” Epic has also decided to “present to players up to the age of 18 years in the Netherlands only items in the Item Shop that will be available for 48 hours or more.”
