The Italian Competition Authority is investigating Activision Blizzard over claims that the mobile games Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile engage in “misleading and aggressive practices.”
The watchdog said the games are structured in such a way to encourage people to “play more often, extend their gaming sessions, and take up promoted offers” through “the possible use of deceptive user-interface design.”
“Examples include repeated prompts, both during and outside gameplay, urging users not to miss out on rewards–also through in-app messages and push notifications–as well as to purchase time-limited items before they become unavailable,” the group said.
“These practices, together with strategies that make it difficult for users to understand the real value of the virtual currency used in the game and the sale of in-game currency in bundles, may influence players as consumers–including minors–leading them to spend significant amounts, sometimes exceeding what is necessary to progress in the game and without being fully aware of the expenditure involved.”
The group further claims that the parental controls in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile default to options “that offer a lower level of protection for minors,” including allowing in-game purchases, social features, and “unlimited play time.”
The Italian Competition Authority also said it wants to look into how Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile go about collecting personal data. “It seems that consumers–including minors–are led to select all consent options, including consent to profiling for commercial purposes, in the belief that they are faced with a mandatory choice,” the group said.
GameSpot has reached out to Activision Blizzard for comment. The company and its franchises are now owned by Microsoft following the company’s blockbuster $75.4 billion buyout.