Epic Games to pay $520M to resolve FTC allegations

Re:Epic Games to pay $520M to resolve FTC allegations by breezeitall on Monday December 19, 2022 @10:26AM (#34053136)

If I have a F2P game on mobile, do I then have to force ask the users age at the start to track things like DAU without getting potentially sued because I was unintentionally without knowing tracking < 13 years?

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Re:Epic Games to pay $520M to resolve FTC allegations by BryantD on Monday December 19, 2022 @12:29PM (#34054803)

IANAL. However, my answer to that question would be “it’s a good idea.”

COPPA specifically calls out collecting device identifiers and cookies as personal information. Here’s the money line:

“It shall be unlawful for any operator of a Web site or online service directed to children, or any operator that has actual knowledge that it is collecting or maintaining personal information from a child, to collect personal information from a child in a manner that violates the regulations prescribed under this part.”

Note “directed to children.” If your game isn’t directed to children, you’re fine, but that’s a terribly fuzzy definition. In practice I would recommend taking the safe road and age gating for games. Again, I am not a lawyer.

Edit: I read the complaint and Epic was explicitly marketing to ages 10+, so this wasn’t at all fuzzy for them.

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Re:Epic Games to pay $520M to resolve FTC allegations by breezeitall on Monday December 19, 2022 @03:38PM (#34057344)

Thank you, that makes sense.

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