He also cited that despite having investigations indicating that features such as voice chat were a risk to minors, the company did not take action to protect them. “In the meantime, children have been bullied, threatened, and harassed, including sexually, through Fortnite,” the FTC complaint read.
In a statement, Epic, which has more than 400 million users worldwide, said that it is already making the necessary changes to its platform with the goal of ensuring that the game complies with all laws and regulations.
“The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and industry practices are no longer sufficient. We accept this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience,” the company wrote.
This will be a serious blow to the finances of Epic, a company that generated $5.5 billion in profits between 2018 and 2019, according to court documents reviewed by The Verge, in addition to demonstrating the attention that the FTC is paying in other environments of the technology, such as video games.
In fact, last week the same regulatory body filed a lawsuit to block Microsoft’s acquisition agreement for Activision Blizzard, considering that it could represent a monopolistic attitude that would benefit Xbox over other companies in the industry.
