![]() ParentsTogether calls on Roblox to 1) stop baiting children into outrageous spending and 2) put in place robust systems that truly protect kids and parents from financial exploitation.īelow are stories of impacted parents and an outline of some of the factors that make Roblox a financial and emotional minefield for kids: Testimonies ParentsTogether urges all parents of children on Roblox to immediately check settings on both the app and third-party services such as iTunes to ensure that in-app purchases are restricted or switched off, and a password required for all purchases. Scammers take advantage of the platform to target children, tricking them into handing over expensive items. Parents are now reporting cases of children being lured into casino-level spending sprees without parents’ knowledge, in some cases racking up bills of thousands of dollars in just days.ĭesire for these “rare” items often pushes children into outrageous spending, with some kids reporting being pressured to buy gifts for others on the platform. In a "staff perspective" which followed, the agency noted that video game microtransactions have become a multibillion-dollar market.Despite being aimed at young children and being advertised as free to join and download, the gaming platform allows excessive spending on in-app purchases, such as clothing and accessories for avatars, with each individual purchase costing up to hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars. The FTC, which goes after companies engaged in deceptive behavior, held a workshop on loot boxes in 2019. The spokesperson also said the company created a dashboard so players would track how much time they played, how many packs they opened and what purchases were made. ![]() "We encourage the use of parental controls, including spend controls, that are available for every major gaming platform, including EA's own platforms." ![]() "Spending is always optional," a company spokesperson said in an email statement. "The chances of opening a coveted card, such as a Player of the Year, are miniscule unless a gamer spends thousands of dollars on points or plays for thousands of hours to earn coins," the groups said in the letter.Įlectronic Arts said in a statement on Thursday that of the game's millions of players, 78% have not made an in-game purchase. They can be purchased with digital currency, which can obscure how much is spent, they said. The packs, or loot boxes, are packages of digital content sometimes purchased with real money that give the purchaser a potential advantage in a game. "It entices players to buy packs in search of special players," said the letter sent by these groups along with the Consumer Federation of America and Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and others. In a letter to the FTC, the groups said the game usually costs $50 to $100 but that the company pushed push players to spend more. ![]() In the game, players build a soccer team using avatars of real players and compete against other teams. The groups Fairplay, Center for Digital Democracy and 13 other organizations urged the Federal Trade Commission to probe the EA game "FIFA: Ultimate Team". regulators to investigate video game maker Electronic Arts Inc (EA.O) for what they say was the misleading use of a digital "loot box" that "aggressively" urges players to spend more money while playing a popular soccer game. WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Consumer advocates on Thursday urged U.S.
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