What happened
01
The FTC announced the complaint in December 2022.
02
It said a single button press could trigger a purchase with no confirmation.
03
It said children could buy items without a parent’s consent.
04
Accounts were locked when people disputed unauthorised charges, the FTC said.
05
The settlement was finalised in March 2023.
Why this is a design failure
Purchase buttons placed where people expect other actions turn ordinary play into charges people did not intend.
The fair alternative
Confirm every purchase, keep buy buttons apart from play controls, and make refunds easy.
Do
Confirm purchases and keep buy buttons away from everyday controls.
Don’t
Don’t place a purchase where people expect another action.
Company response
Epic said it had changed its payment flows and added a confirmation step before purchases.