Who is Epic Games' CEO? Fortnite developer to pay $520M fine for collecting children's data without consent

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The FTC alleged that players of all ages were deceived into what is called "dark patterns" when users have to buy online credits. It said the operation was "counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing" button configuration which helps Epic earn hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized charges to consumers, according to NBC News. 

Who is CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeney?

A video game programmer and businessman, Tim Sweeney is also the creator of the game development platforms Unreal Engine. He attended the University of Maryland starting around 1989, studying mechanical engineering. His father, who worked for the Defense Mapping Agency, reportedly gave him an IBM Personal Computer/AT around this time. Sweeney then established Potomac Computer Systems, a consulting business, but it was shelved after it failed to work out. He later came up with the idea of creating games that could be sold. He used his fortune to buy large tracts of land in North Carolina for conservation. 

Epic Games said of the FTC settlement on its website, "Epic has 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."

"No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here. The video game industry is a place of fast-moving innovation, where player expectations are high and new ideas are paramount. Statutes written decades ago don’t specify how gaming ecosystems should operate. The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough. We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players," it added. "Over the past few years, we’ve been making changes to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry."