Technologies

Fortnite Maker Epic to Pay Record $520 Million Over Child Privacy, In-App Violations

The FTC says Epic Games will pay $275 million for violating child privacy rules and $245 to refund users tricked into making in-game purchases.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, has reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to change some default settings and to pay $520 million over allegations that it violated children’s privacy and used «design tricks» that caused players to make unwanted purchase, the FTC said Monday.

«Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,» said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan in the statement about the agreement.

Epic Games will pay a $275 million penalty for child privacy violations, the largest ever fine paid by a company for breaking FTC rules. The FTC said that Epic Games collected personal information from children under the age of 13 without the consent of their parents in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and that, by setting voice and text communications on by default, the game opened children and teens to bullying and harassment from strangers. Epic Games has also agreed to set voice and text communications off by default.

Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat of Massachusetts and author of COPPA, applauded the FTC’s agreement in an emailed press release and called on Congress to take further action to protect kids and teens online.

«Without immediate action to thwart the pernicious threats facing young people, we will fail to safeguard them in the face of a generation-defining mental health and privacy crisis,» he said. In May 2022, the FTC adopted a new policy prioritizing enforcement of the COPPA.

The other portion, $245 million, will be used by the FTC to refund consumers who were unfairly charged for in-game purchases. It’s the largest refund amount in an FTC gaming case. The FTC called out how Epic enticed players to make unwanted purchases and its failure to require confirmation of purchases, which allowed children and teens to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of in-game merchandise before parents knew their cards had been charged.

In a statement posted to Epic Games’ website, the company accepted the decision and called on the gaming industry to adopt practices that better reflect today’s gaming environment, saying, «No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here.»

«Statutes written decades ago don’t specify how gaming ecosystems should operate. 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,» the post read.

The agreement is subject to a 30-day comment period. The FTC will disburse the $245 million for eligible customers.

Technologies

Samsung Could Introduce a New Pro Model in the Galaxy S27 Lineup

A report claims Samsung’s expanding its flagship offerings to four phones.

Samsung may add a new Galaxy S27 model to its flagship phone lineup, aiming to compete directly with Apple’s four-model range. The report, from South Korean tech site Electronic Times, says industry insiders expect Samsung to increase the number of high-end flagship models by introducing a «Pro» version that shares similarities with the Ultra handset.

If launched, the Pro would fall between the Plus and Ultra models. The report states that the display size on the new model hasn’t been finalized, but it will lack the S Pen functionality that has largely defined the Ultra series. It’s expected to share more features with the Ultra than the standard and Plus models, with the Privacy Display introduced with the Galaxy S26 Ultra specifically being called out for the new model.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Samsung actually released a fourth model of its flagship smartphone series in 2025 with Galaxy S25. Called the Galaxy S25 Edge, the ultrathin smartphone was aesthetically pleasing but apparently sold poorly, which may be why there was no release of a Galaxy S26 Edge this year. Switching to a more standard Pro model might be the safer move.

The expansion of its high-end model may do Samsung some good. As of now, if you want the absolute best Galaxy smartphone available, it’s undoubtedly the Ultra model, which features a massive 6.9-inch display. This matches the current size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is simply too big for some people. The difference here, and this may be the case with the upcoming Galaxy lineup, is that Apple has a smaller Pro model that shares a majority of the features that are available on the Max version.

Technologies

YouTubers Sue Amazon, Claim AI Tool Was Trained on Scraped Videos

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon bypassed YouTube protections to collect content for its generative AI video system.

A group of YouTube creators is suing Amazon, accusing the tech giant of secretly scraping their videos to train its AI video model without permission.

The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges Amazon used automated tools to download and extract data from millions of YouTube videos to build and improve its Nova Reel generative AI system — a model that can create short videos from text prompts and images.

At the center of the complaint is how that data was obtained. The plaintiffs claim that Amazon bypassed YouTube’s protections using virtual machines and rotating IP addresses to avoid detection, effectively sidestepping the platform’s safeguards against bulk downloading.

The lawsuit was brought by several creators, including Ted Entertainment (the company behind the H3 Podcast and h3h3 Productions), as well as individual YouTubers and channel operators. They argue that the alleged scraping violated copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and are seeking damages as well as an injunction to stop the practice.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

The case lands at a pivotal moment for generative AI, as courts weigh whether training on copyrighted material qualifies as fair use and how much control creators retain once their work is used to build these systems. The disputes have often centered on written material, which has been at the center of the AI revolution for several years, while AI video generators such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo have emerged more recently.

The lawsuit is one of dozens testing the boundaries of AI training practices, alongside high-profile cases from authors, artists and news organizations, including lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta, all circling the same unresolved question: Where does fair use end and infringement begin?

Technologies

The Galaxy Z TriFold Is Back. You Can Buy It From Samsung Soon

The $2,899 phone paused its sales in March after selling through its inventory, but Samsung is bringing it back to its online store.

Samsung’s $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold is going back on sale on Friday, following a halt to its sales in March after the foldable phone sold through its inventory. Samsung has announced the TriFold’s return with a countdown clock on the phone’s online store page along with a Wednesday newsletter email sent to customers.

The initial pause, which Samsung said at the time was related to the TriFold being a «super-premium device in limited quantities,» happened after just three months of availability. The TriFold first went on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12 and then arrived in Samsung’s US store on Jan. 30. The TriFold sold out in the US within minutes of going on sale — which I know personally after joining my colleagues that morning in an attempt to buy it. Thankfully Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti succeeded, and then reviewed the TriFold.

It’s unclear whether the Galaxy Z TriFold is now permanently returning to Samsung’s online store or if it is again on sale until its stock sells through. Given that the phone is very expensive, and unfolds to reveal a large, 10-inch display, it wouldn’t be surprising if its stock will be in limited quantities. We’ve asked a Samsung representative to clarify and will update if we hear more.

The Galaxy Z TriFold’s return also comes ahead of the summer season when we expect a slew of other foldable phones: Samsung typically refreshes its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip line in July or August, and Motorola has announced its first book-style Razr Fold phone will also debut during the season. And Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold (or perhaps iPhone Ultra based on latest rumors) could also be teased later this year.