The Consumer Council will ban virtual currency in games – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

– Even though the game world is virtual, it must follow the rules we have in the real world. That’s according to Thomas Iversen, senior legal adviser at the Norwegian Consumer Council. Virtual currency is often used in computer games and comes in different varieties, such as silver, gold or diamonds. They can be earned by playing, or by being purchased for real money. It is virtual currency that is bought for money, which the Norwegian Consumer Council believes is problematic, and which they want to ban. Together with 21 consumer organizations from 17 countries, they are today submitting a complaint to the EU’s consumer authorities. Thomas Iversen is senior legal adviser at the Norwegian Consumer Council. Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / news – Manipulativ Iversen says that it is easy to lose track when the prices are not stated in kroner and øre. – Imagine that your child wants something new in the game she is playing, perhaps a cool outfit or a special look for her character. The prices can then be stated in the game’s own currency. – You know, such gold coins or diamonds. He believes a trick the industry often uses is that the gold coins that have to be bought for real money often come in large packages. But if you have virtual money left, after e.g. the suit purchase, it is perhaps too small to be used for anything. Then you have to buy new packages. Illustration photo Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB – We also see many examples of casino-like mechanisms being used to manipulate the players into spending as much money as possible. The Consumer Council believes that it is particularly worrying when it is aimed at children. They state that one does not have basic consumer rights when paying with virtual currency. How is the public reaction to this virtual money, do you have any information about it? – We receive individual inquiries from parents and others who feel that this can be problematic. The challenge is that much of this goes under the radar for very many people. But we have had dialogue with consumers where this type of concern comes to the fore. “Getting played” The background to the complaint, and the Consumer Council’s desire for a ban, is the report “Getting played”, which is being launched today. Iversen points out that the industry is constantly growing and asks the authorities to keep up. – So that this industry here, which is large-scale industry, is treated precisely as the large-scale industry it is, says Iversen. Published 12.09.2024, at 00.00



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