Italy watchdog opens probes into Activision Blizzard over mobile game monetisation

• Regulators say aggressive in-game purchases may breach consumer protection rules.
• The Authority flagged heightened risks in a sector sensitive to gaming-related addiction.
• Investigators are examining whether virtual currencies obscure real-world spending.

The Italian Competition Authority has opened two investigations into Activision Blizzard over the monetisation practices used in Diablo Immortal and Call of Duty Mobile.

In a statement, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercat (AGCM) said the titles are marketed as free to play but rely heavily on in-game purchases, raising concerns over misleading and aggressive commercial practices and potential breaches of consumer protection rules. 

The watchdog added that the company may have failed to meet its duty of professional diligence in a sector it considers particularly sensitive to the risks of gaming-related addiction.

Regulators are also assessing whether the use of virtual currency and bundled sales makes it difficult for players to understand the real value of what they are spending, particularly for minors.

Design practices

The investigations will examine the use of user interface design that may encourage prolonged play sessions and spending, including repeated prompts and notifications urging players not to miss rewards or to buy time-limited items. 

Further scrutiny will focus on parental control settings, which the Authority claims default to low levels of protection, as well as how consent for personal data processing is obtained during account creation. 

“The investigations focus on whether players receive adequate information about their contractual rights, as current practices appear to encourage users to relinquish those rights unknowingly (for example, the cooling-off period)," said the AGCM. 

“The Authority is also assessing the company’s ability to block gaming accounts unilaterally, without providing adequate reasons, support or an opportunity to be heard, inevitably resulting in the loss of money - in some cases substantial - spent on digital content."