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Epic Games fined in U.S. and sued in Canada for Fortnite troubles

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Epic Games, the company behind the video game Fortnite, is facing a new kind of battle royale — the legal kind.

In the U.S., the company was accused of collecting information about kids without permission and tricking them into paying for in-game features.

For that, it has to pay $520 million US in fines and rebates to affected players.

In a separate lawsuit in Canada, Epic Games is being accused of harming kids because Fortnite — according to some parents —  is addictive.

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The company has already made some changes to the game to protect young players, but at least one expert says there are additional steps that kids can take to make sure their only injuries are virtual ones.

Fortnite is popular among kids, like 12-year-old Beck, who plays with his entire family and streams it on YouTube. (Image credit: K-CityGaming/YouTube)

Situation in the U.S.

On Dec. 19 in the U.S., Epic Games agreed to pay $520 million US in fines and rebates to affected players.

The fines were imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

It’s an independent agency of the U.S. government whose job it is to protect consumers.

This record-breaking fine is the largest ever for breaking an FTC rule.

That broken rule was a law known as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which seeks to protect kids online.

According to the FTC, Epic Games violated COPPA law by collecting personal information from Fortnite players under 13 without parental consent and deploying design tricks to get kids to download in-game content that costs real-world money.

“No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here,” Epic said in a statement.

“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 statement went on to say.

More troubles in Canada

Meanwhile, a judge in Quebec has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Epic Games for different reasons.

A class-action lawsuit is “basically a group of people that share a similar problem and that are looking for a solution to their problem,” said Jean-Philippe Caron, one of the CaLex Legal lawyers working on the Quebec case.

The case, which was brought to the courts in 2019 by three Quebec parents, has received permission to proceed.

This judge’s authorization to proceed is just the beginning in a long legal battle, which could take up to a decade to be finalized.

Four different versions of Fortnite skins are shown.

Although Fortnite is free to play, players are encouraged to purchase skins or character cosmetics, some of which are seen here. (Fortnite/Epic Games)

The plaintiffs, who are the people arguing against Epic Games and Fortnite, claim two things.

One: They wish to have all the money kids spent on in-game currency or v-bucks returned.

Two: They want to receive compensation for “bodily injury” kids experienced while playing the game.

The plaintiffs claim that these bodily injuries include their Fortnite-playing children showing signs of “troubling behaviour” including: not sleeping, not eating, not showering and no longer socializing with their peers.

Although the case is based in Quebec, the law firm behind the lawsuit, CaLex, claims more than 280 people have reached out to them about joining the lawsuit from across Canada.

In a statement to CBC, Natalie Muñoz, the communications director for Epic Games, said the company is prepared to argue its case.

“We plan to fight this in court,” Muñoz wrote.

Epic Games has made changes to Fortnite

The game has already undergone changes since it came out, based on feedback and to better protect young gamers.

“We’ve learned from our players and have continually enhanced our features, policies and payment mechanics since Fortnite launched,” Epic Games said in a statement on their website.

In a media release, Fortnite outlined the changes it has implemented, such as increased parental controls and “cabined” accounts that encourage players to be honest about their age when playing.

A screen on Fortnite says “due to your age, some features are unavailable until your parent or guardian gives you permission to use them.”

This privacy policy comes up now when a kid younger than 13 tries to play without parental consent. (Fortnite/Epic Games)

A cabined account means that a player under the age of 13 in the U.S. or Canada will have to enter their parent or guardian’s email address before they are allowed to unlock the full features of the game.

But unlike before, they aren’t blocked entirely from playing while they wait for permission.

How can kid gamers protect themselves?

According to Matthew Johnson, director of education for a Canadian non-profit called MediaSmarts, video games are designed to “make you keep playing or buy more,” but there are things kids can do to protect themselves.

He said it’s important to be aware of how you game and how gaming can affect you.

“A good place to start is by making a gaming diary where you record when you gamed, what you did, what you purchased and how you felt,” he told CBC Kids News.

“This can really help you get an idea of when and why you’re gaming, and how it can maybe interfere with other parts of your life.”

If in-game spending is an issue, he recommends turning off the ability to make in-game purchases or buy gift cards as a way of consciously and physically limiting how much you spend.

Have more questions? Want to tell us how we’re doing? Use the “send us feedback” link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️


With files from Laura Marchand, Pete Evans/CBC

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The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024 – Pinkbike.com

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Vittoria Releases New Peyote & Mezcal XC Race Tires
Maxxis Team Spec Aspen ST Tire
New DT Swiss 240 DEG Hubs
Kali Protectives’ New Full Face Helmets
Industry Nine’s SOLiX M Hubs & Wheelsets
Michelin’s Aggressive New Wild Enduro Tires
Praxis’ New Flat Pedals, Stem, & Carbon Bottle Cage
Transmission Cage Upgrades from Kogel, Ceramicspeed, and Cascade Components
Randoms Round 1 – Sea Otter 2024
Madrone Cycles’ SRAM Eagle Repair Kits & Prototype Derailleur
Vorsprung’s New Telum Coil Shock
EXT’s Vaia Inverted DH Fork & Updated Coil Shocks
Randoms Round 2: New Tools, Goggles, Grips, Racks, & More – Sea Otter 2024
What’s New in Women’s MTB Apparel at Sea Otter 2024
Even More Randoms – Sea Otter 2024
Randoms Round 3: Dario’s Treasures
What’s New for the Kids at Sea Otter 2024
Deity Releases New Stems, Grips, & Pedals
Dario’s Final Sea Otter Randoms
Brian’s Randoms from Sea Otter 2024

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With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Christina Chappetta covers why it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more.

In the past fortnight, we have seen large amount of new tech releases. However, Sea Otter 2024 represents some of the first opportunities for many riders to see these things in the flesh, as well as take a deeper dive into what the product aims to do.
Welcome to a video summary from Day 2 of the Sea Otter Classic.
There are so many giveaways, interesting new products and colourful characters at Sea Otter Classic that it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Ben Cathro takes a lap of the venue to find his favourites.



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Apple iPad Air 2024: Insider Makes Hasty U-Turn On New Feature – Forbes

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Well, that was quick. On May 18, a respected industry insider predicted a new display technology for the iPad Air that’s expected in the coming days—Apple just announced its latest special event.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Air, the report claimed, would have the same miniLED backlighting currently found on the larger iPad Pro, using the leftover inventory from the current Pro as that model switches to OLED. That was exciting news.

But now, Ross Young, the analyst who made the claim, has changed his mind. The new prediction, shared with paid subscribers only, is that the miniLED technology won’t be coming to the iPad Air, in either size.

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While it made sense that the inventory could be maximized in this way, it now “makes sense” that it won’t.

Young says that while he’d heard from supply chain sources that it would, he’d now had contact from “even more supply chain sources” that it won’t.

And the reason this change of heart now makes sense is that this miniLED technology is expensive, so it would be surprising if it made it to the iPad Air, which is more affordable than the Pro.

That’s not quite all the analyst shared. He also said that there are now reports of a new iPad coming later in the year. This is a 12.9-inch iPad, with miniLED backlighting and it could arrive between October and December this year.

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This is intriguing. What could it be? Assuming that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are released in May, it’s extremely unlikely either will be updated later in the year. And if the iPad Air isn’t pricey enough for miniLED to be included, what tablet could Apple be introducing that is the same size as the bigger Pro, with a pricey screen tech, which would sit between the Air and the Pro, it seems?

Young is highly reliable, but this seems slightly preposterous to me. The only other iPad in the range due a refresh is the regular iPad (at 12.9-inches, the iPad mini is clearly out of the picture) and that doesn’t seem likely either.

It seems to me that any regular iPad will almost certainly have the same screen size as now, 10.9 inches. The regular iPad only grew to this size screen in the current generation, and Apple almost never changes designs after one iteration.

Perhaps things will become clearer as the year goes on.

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Woman who left beaten dad on floor for 2 days was 'overwhelmed' with his care, judge told – CBC.ca

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A Calgary woman who abused her sick, 77-year-old father was “overwhelmed” at the task of caring for him, a judge heard Wednesday at a sentencing hearing. 

In January, Tara Picard, 52, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and failing to provide the necessaries of life after her father (whom CBC News is not naming) was found injured on a basement floor, where he’d been lying for two days. 

On Wednesday, prosecutor Donna Spaner and defence lawyer Shaun Leochko asked the judge to allow Picard to serve her sentence in the community under conditions as part of a conditional sentence order.

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Justice Indra Maharaj agreed to a two-year conditional sentence for Picard followed by a year of probation. 

“There is no doubt she became overwhelmed,” said Spaner in her submissions. “There is no question Ms. Picard has remorse.”

Leochko told the judge that caring for her father “was really more than [Picard] could handle.”

Maharaj heard that Picard is Indigenous and was the victim of abuse growing up. She lives in a sober dorm-style facility and is working with a mental health and addictions navigator, according to Leochko.

A ‘willingness to give back’

As part of the sentence, Picard must complete 300 hours of community service. 

Justice Maharaj commended Picard for “taking that on.”

“That shows me Ms. Picard sincerely does recognize what has happened here,” said the judge. 

“What I interpret from that is Ms. Picard’s willingness to give back to her community.”

During Picard’s plea, court heard that in November 2021, Picard and her father fought over his drinking. 

Nurses discover victim

The victim suffers from a number of medical issues, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and alcoholism.

At the time, home-care registered nurses were assigned to help provide supplementary care.

Nurses found the victim wearing a soiled adult diaper and suffering from two black eyes with blood on his head. 

He told the nurses who discovered him that he’d been there for two days. 

Picard admitted she knew her father had fallen and she had “administered a number of physical blows.”

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