Virtual currency in games under scrutiny: Danish organization accuses Fortnite and other games of manipulating children

Virtual currency in games under scrutiny: Danish organization accuses Fortnite and other games of manipulating children

The Danish organization Forbrugerrådet Tænk has accused several popular games, including Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, Diablo IV, and CS2, of manipulating children through the use of virtual currency. After analyzing 17 games, specialists concluded that developers are hiding the real prices of in-game purchases by displaying them in virtual currencies, making it harder to understand the actual cost in real money.

According to Forbrugerrådet Tænk, instead of showing prices in real currency, players are first asked to purchase virtual currency, which is then used to pay for in-game items. This system, according to the organization, violates Denmark’s “Marketing Act” and complicates the process of tracking actual spending in games.

The organization has already submitted data on these 17 games to Denmark’s consumer rights ombudsman. In cooperation with several European organizations, complaints were also filed against seven games accused of similar violations.

Among the games scrutinized are popular titles like Call of Duty: Mobile, Candy Crush, FIFA: Mobile Football, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Pokémon Go, Clash of Clans, EA Sports FC 24, and others.