Epic Games Settles FTC’s COPPA Lawsuit, $245M Worth Of Refunds Await Eligible Players

Fortnite studio Epic Games recently settled a Children’s Online Privacy Protection lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to the tune of $245 million.

The FTC has now set up a page for those who want to request refunds for premium item purchases made between January 2017 and September 2022, credit card charges unknowingly made by a child below 13 years old from January 2017 to November 2018. Players who’ve also had their accounts locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after complaining about wrongful charges are also eligible for refunds.

Exact refund amounts have yet to be determined as this is dependent on how many people file a claim, among other factors. All claims, however, must be filed by January 17, 2024.

The payout is being touted as the largest that the FTC has received for a video game-related case, and its “largest administrative order in history.” Aside from the payout, the FTC also required Epic Games to implement stronger default privacy settings for children and teens, including turning off voice and chat communications by default.