Italy to Investigate Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile for "Dark Patterns"
The Italian antitrust regulator, Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercat (AGCM), has launched an investigation into Activision Blizzard. It suspects that the company may have violated consumer protection laws.
Diablo Immortal
As part of the investigation, the regulator will focus on two mobile games — Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile. The agency noted that both projects have aggressive monetization strategies, and the UI design could mislead users about certain important aspects, such as the actual cost of in-game currency. The regulator suspects that developers may be manipulating gamers into spending more time and money in the games.
In particular, AGCM questions the justification for the use of notifications in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile that urge players to buy limited-time items before they are removed from sale.
AGCM will also examine the parental control systems in these games. Currently, the regulator does not rule out that by default, they provide a minimal level of protection for young gamers: they have the ability to make purchases, play unlimited amounts of time, and interact with other users without adult supervision. Additionally, AGCM is dissatisfied with how the process of obtaining consent for processing personal data is managed in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.
Representatives of Activision Blizzard have not commented on the situation.