Consumer group sues to ban purchases inside games like Fortnite and Minecraft in Europe
Video games are some of the most lucrative apps in the world, in part because of how they lure people into spending money on credits to buy digital
Video games are some of the most lucrative apps in the world, in part because of how they lure people into spending money on credits to buy digital goodies, to the tune of more than $50 billion annually worldwide. But a powerful consumer group in Europe believes games publishers are “purposefully tricking consumers,” especially children, into making purchases, and it is leveling up to call for a ban on in-game purchases as they exist today.
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) filed a complaint on Thursday on behalf of consumer groups in 17 countries, citing “unfair practices” and breach of consumer protection in games with in-app or in-game purchases. Popular video games played on mobile and other devices have been singled out in the complaint. They include Epic Games’ Fortnight, Supercell’s Clash of Clans, Microsoft’s Minecraft, and EA Sports FC 24.
Consumers, the BEUC said, are “overspending” in games because they can’t see the real costs clearly enough, and it says the situation is worse with under-18 gamers, who spend an average of €39 per month on in-game purchases. You can read BEUC’s full complaint here.
The BEUC is making a string of recommendations to the European regulators, the biggest of which are:
An outright ban on the use of in-game and in-app paid currencies, based on the conclusions of the Digital Fairness Fitness Check last updated in August.
Factoring in-app purchases into game age ratings, restricting access for under-18s, more transparency in how games charge for different services, and better guardrails to clarify when players are paying for something extra.
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