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Fortnite maker Epic Games on Friday revealed the acquisition of SuperAwesome, a technology platform that allows developers to create safer digital experiences for children on the internet.
Used by brands such as Lego, Hasbro, Sega and Nintendo, London-based SuperAwesome offers tools and parental consent management services for safe engagement through apps, games and services.
“More kids interact online than ever before and now is the time to double down on their safety,” said Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games, in a statement. “SuperAwesome is the company developers want to work with to make better online content for kids. We share the belief that digital experiences are better when you go the extra mile to respect privacy and we’re thrilled to invest in this future alongside the talented SuperAwesome team.”
The tech platform was launched in 2013 as a result of kids’ attention turning rapidly from televisions to digital platforms — per a PricewaterhouseCoopers statistic from earlier this year, children under 18 account for more than 40 percent of new internet users globally — and the need for new infrastructure to provide protection across all devices. All of the company’s products are compliant with general data protection regulation laws (GDPR) and certified through the KidSAFE and ESRB Coppa Safe Harbor programs.
Dylan Collins, co-founder and CEO of SuperAwesome, added in his own statement, “The internet was never designed for kids, so we started SuperAwesome to make it as easy as possible to enable safe, privacy-driven digital experiences for children everywhere. Partnering with Epic Games gives us the opportunity to deliver that promise on a scale which simply wouldn’t have been possible on our own. We’re proud and excited to be working together to make the internet safer for kids.”
Earlier this week, Epic Games invested heavily in indie developer Manticore Games, which raised $15 million in Series A funding for its video game creation platform, Core.
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