Epic Games has been hit with a staggering $520 million fine by the FTC over its use of in-app purchases in Fortnite and child privacy concerns. The popular game company has been ordered to pay back every penny that it has made from children who have spent money on the game without their parent's permission. That's over half of a billion dollars, but imagine being a parent stuck with a big bill from what has been described as "Illegal Practices". Yikes!
Epic says they've "reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In it, Epic will pay $245 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to past designs of the Fortnite item shop and refund systems in Fortnite, which the FTC will use to distribute to Epic customers at their discretion. Epic will also pay $275 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to children’s privacy in Fortnite".
This is a huge blow to Epic Games, which has made billions of dollars from Fortnite and Fortnite merchandise. The company will now have to be much more careful about how it handles in-app purchases in the future, and it will send a message to other companies that may usher in two-way authentication for more free-to-play games.
Lastly, to end this article on a good note, please hurry over to Epic Games and grab a free game every day until Dec. 25th! These games cover different genres and they've been great options so far.
The chair of the FTC, Lina Khan, is loading up to take steps in regulating the data privacy practices of big businesses. The FTC voted 3-2 to... seek feedback in terms of the harms stemming from commercial surveillance and whether new rules are necessary to protect people's privacy and info.
The regulations could lead to a revision of how companies collect and use our personal information online, which threatens a business model that big tech relies on (which is targeted advertising). Have you ever talked about a certain product and had that product pop up as an ad just a few minutes later?
We can't exactly call that a... coincidence, and with the world spinning more and more into a digital direction, the leash appears to be increasing to accommodate the growing size of big tech.
The FTC might have a challenging fight ahead (according to Axios) when you consider the Supreme Court ruling that limited the EPA's authority over the power industry. Which... (hmmm) I don't know about you, but I think it sucks that certain companies (that do hella damage to the planet) get to turn around and charge top dollar to the masses who are ultimately affected by the lasting effects.
Basically... the EPA would have to go through congress before actions can take place to protect the people.
So going back to the FTC, they will have some climbing to do because judges are getting more vicious about agencies having authority... regardless of what it's worth. The Supreme Court also overturned the CDC's eviction moratorium, which I won't jump into... but I'm just giving you an idea of what they can swat down.
Should you be concerned? Well, it all depends on who you're cheering for and what matters to you. The FTC is trying to poke the eyes and deafen the ears trying to get all up in your business to a degree, while Big Tech is trying to make money with targeted advertising (which also keeps certain products/platforms like Youtube free). Free isn't always a good thing because the cheap can come out expensive, which you can see with certain apps. I get suspicious when it comes to free software.
A happy medium goes a long way between the FTC and Big Tech, mainly if it's a win for the masses.
It's going to be a challenge to keep eyes and ears out of your home altogether (unless you treat it like a standup starring Dave Chappelle), but I personally wouldn't have products like Meta (Facebook) Portal just sitting in my home or studio soaking up every bit of audio/visual feedback as possible. If I were to get something of the sort, I would only power it up when in use (off would be unplugged too). The same goes for Alexa, Google, and any other products I have the ability to control like that. You're able to play your part in maintaining your privacy... if you really need products like these, you just have to be consistent in order for it to be worth it. We don't know what else they're listening to and watching. Is it just for advertisement purposes or to improve products? You be the judge... and game on!
Speaking of privacy, if you aren't a fan of saving your passwords in
the cloud or on a PC... grabbed a Password Logger (hardcover book).
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