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

Sora Video Limits Got You Down? Pay Up for More, Says OpenAI

Sora has opened to everyone in the US, and OpenAI is now charging for extra AI video generations.

Soon after Sora dropped its invite-only requirement, OpenAI is already moving to monetize the popular AI video social media app. The company has introduced paid «video generation packs,» allowing you to purchase additional AI-generated videos after reaching the daily free limit.

Until now, you could generate around 30 videos a day for free or up to 100 for Pro accounts. Now, anyone who hits that cap will see a prompt to purchase extra «gens» through the App Store.

A small bundle of 10 extra generations costs roughly $4, according to Sora’s listing on Apple App Store, but OpenAI’s support page states that the exact credits used per video range based on factors like the video length and resolution.

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OpenAI’s Bill Peebles confirmed the change in a post on X, citing increased demand and «unsustainable» economics as reasons behind the change. He also confirms the free quota options are likely temporary.

«Eventually, we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth (we won’t have enough GPUs to do it otherwise!), but we’ll be transparent as it happens,» he wrote. «[i]n the meantime, enjoy the crazy usage limits.»

Technologies

You Can Nab the Apple Watch SE 3 for a Record-Low $200 if You Act Fast

Amazon just knocked $49 off this budget-friendly wearable for the first time since its release.

Released alongside the Series 11 and Ultra 3, the Apple Watch SE 3 is the latest budget-friendly model in Apple’s lineup. Starting at $249, it already saves you $150 compared to the Series 11, and right now you can pick it up for even less.

Amazon is offering the biggest (and practically only) discount we’ve seen since this smartwatch hit shelves, knocking it down to a record-low $200. That’s a $49 discount, but it only applies to the starlight color. We also don’t expect this deal to last long, so be sure to get your order in soon.

Even at full price, CNET smartwatch expert Vanessa Hand Orellana called the third-gen SE a «$250 steal that delivers nearly everything you’d want from a wearable, with surprisingly few compromises.» It’s equipped with the same S10 processor as the Series 11 and Ultra 3, and offers many of the same features, like fast charging, 5G connectivity and new wellness tools. Plus, the vibrant 40mm display is always on, so you can check the time with a glance. Other helpful features include onboard Siri, fall detection and a durable design that’s water-resistant up to 50 meters.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm, Black, M/L Sports Band):

$329 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bluetooth, 40mm, Cream):

$200 (save $100)
Amazfit Active 42mm Smartwatch With 14 Day Battery Life (Black):

$85 (save $25)
Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch With AMOLED Display:

$200 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (Wi-Fi, LTE, 47mm, Titanium Silver):

$500 (save $150)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Deals on the latest Apple tech are far and few between, which makes this Apple Watch SE 3 discount a welcome surprise. You can pick it up for a record-low $200 right now at Amazon, which is just half the price of the flagship Series 11. If you prefer a larger display, the 44mm model is also $49 off, dropping the price to $230.

You can also find plenty of other bargains on the latest and previous-gen models in our full roundup of all the best Apple Watch deals.

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Technologies

Surprise Twist: Apple’s Next iPhones Might Come in These 3 Unlikely Colors

Apple seems to be choosing a deep, earthy path for its upcoming phone colors.

From cosmic orange to coffee brown? Brown, purple and burgundy will be the available colors for the iPhone 18 Pro next September, if a leak out of China proves true.

Depending on your language translator, brown could mean simply «brown» or «coffee brown,» but you get the general idea. The tidbit comes from regular leaker Digital Chat Station’s post on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. The post also says that black will not be an available color for the iPhone 18 Pro.

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

The iPhone 17 Pro comes in cosmic orange, deep blue and silver.

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The Apple release schedule for the iPhone 18 series has been shifting, but the latest intel reports that the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Fold will launch in September 2026. The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will follow in the spring of 2027.

If Digital Chat Station’s leak is accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro would be the first Pro edition in years without a color resembling black, white or silver.

Here are the colors for the iPhone Pro dating back to its introduction in 2019:

2019: iPhone 11 Pro/Pro Max: Midnight Green, Space Gray, Silver, Gold
2020: iPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max: Graphite, Silver, Gold, Pacific Blue
2021: iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green (March 2022)
2022: iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
2023: iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium
2024: iPhone 16 Pro/16 Pro Max: Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Desert Titanium
2025: iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max: Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver

Not offering any version of black for Pro models might seem counterintuitive, since the iPhone 16 Pro Max black titanium version has been a big seller, and black has also been popular with iPhone 17 shoppers. But a lack of black has not hurt iPhone 17 Pro sales.