Italian Watchdog Targets Activision Blizzard for Misleading In-Game Purchase Tactics

Image Credit: Activision Blizzard / Microsoft

Italy's competition authority has opened investigations into Activision Blizzard over concerns about monetization practices in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.

The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, commonly known as AGCM, claims the gaming giant has been using "misleading and aggressive practices" to encourage in-game spending.

The regulatory body announced that both mobile titles, which are marketed as free-to-play games, may be employing deceptive user interface design to keep players hooked. The investigation specifically targets how these games use various prompts and notifications to pull users back in and extend their gaming sessions.

“In the Authority’s view, the company may be acting in breach of consumer protection rules and, in particular, the duty of professional diligence required in a sector that is particularly sensitive to the risks of gaming-related addiction,” the AGCM stated.

The watchdog explained that both games bombard players with repeated prompts during and outside of gameplay, urging them not to miss out on potential rewards. These notifications come through in-app messages and push notifications, creating a sense of urgency around time-limited items that players feel pressured to purchase before they disappear.

The authority believes this approach, combined with confusing virtual currency systems and bundled sales, makes it difficult for consumers to grasp the actual monetary value of what they're buying.

Beyond the monetization concerns, the investigation is also looking into parental control features within these games. The authority claims that default settings automatically offer a lower level of protection for minors, allowing in-game purchases, unlimited play time, and interaction with other players without requiring active parental involvement or supervision.

This setup essentially leaves the door wide open for kids to spend money and play without restrictions unless parents manually adjust these settings.

The regulatory body is also examining how personal data consent is obtained during account creation. According to their findings, consumers, including minors, appear to be guided toward selecting all consent options, including profiling for commercial purposes, under the impression that these choices are mandatory rather than optional. This raises serious privacy concerns about whether users truly understand what they're agreeing to.

Finally, the investigation will assess whether players receive adequate information about their contractual rights. The authority suggests current practices may lead users to unknowingly give up important rights, such as the cooling-off period that typically allows for refunds.

There are also concerns about Activision Blizzard's ability to unilaterally block gaming accounts without providing sufficient reasoning, support, or an opportunity for users to appeal. Such account bans can result in players losing access to substantial amounts of money they've already spent on digital content.