Fortnite firm penalised for claims it broke child privacy law

The company behind popular video game Fortnite has agreed to pay $520m (£427m) to settle claims from US regulators that it violated child privacy laws and tricked users into making purchases.

The complaint cited tactics like a button design that could trigger purchases while the game was loading.

Epic Games said the settlement resolved concerns about "past designs".

It said the practices were "not how Fortnite operates".

"No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here," the company said. "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.