The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets hit Epic Games with two separate fines totalling the equivalent of $1.2 million.maker Epic Games on Tuesday, judging that vulnerable children were exploited and pressured into making purchases in the game’s Item Shop.
“The findings… contain significant factual errors about how Fortnite and the Item Shop operate,” the firm said.The ACM imposed the first fine over phrases in the game such as “Get it now” or “Buy now”. Adverts directly exhorting children to make purchases are “an illegal aggressive commercial practice under all circumstances,” said the ACM.
“Children’s vulnerabilities were exploited and were thus pressured into making purchases,” said ACM board member Cateautje Hijmans van den Bergh. “ACM is of the opinion that Epic will comply with the binding instruction if it implements the above changes,” the statement said, adding that it would check after June 10.