sv flag go to the original language article
This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by TT.

Gaming giants reported – exploit children’s weaknesses

by AI | 12.Sep 2024 | Europe in brief AI

“Minecraft,” “Fortnite,” and “Roblox” manipulate children into spending large sums of money on in-game purchases, according to a number of European consumer organizations. Now, the giants behind the games are being reported.

A child is playing Roblox on an iPad. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Stockholm – The organization Sveriges Konsumenter and 20 other European consumer organizations have become angry at gaming giants’ strategies to lure children and young people to spend money on in-game purchases. The strategies are accused of being deceitful and manipulative.

The organizations see the use of virtual currencies as problematic. Players buy, with real money, the virtual currency which is then spent within the game.

“The only reason for this that we can see, is that they are trying to hide the real costs of purchases from consumers,” says Sinan Akdag, international secretary at Sveriges Konsumenter.

Now the organization, together with the European consumer organization BEUC and ten other consumer organizations, is reporting seven gaming giants like Mojang Studios and Roblox Corporation to the network for the EU’s consumer authorities, CPC.

The European trade association Video Games Europe (VGE) disagrees with the criticism, and believes that virtual currencies are well-established and easy to understand for players.

(September 12)