South Korea Fines Samsung $15.2 Million Over Deceptive Galaxy Gaming Claims

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined Samsung 20.1 billion won, about $15.2 million, for misleading marketing of Galaxy S21 and S22 smartphones and Tab S8 tablets. The regulator said Samsung deceived consumers about gaming performance and interfered with their rational purchasing decisions.

The commission found that Samsung's Game Optimizing Service capped processors during demanding games. In at least one popular game, the main processor was limited to 0.94 gigahertz, about a third of its 2.99 gigahertz top speed. Thermal throttling normally slows chips when they overheat.

“It misled consumers about gaming performance and interfered with their rational purchasing decisions.”

Samsung's advertisements ran from January 15, 2021, to March 21, 2022, on its website, in promotional videos, and at Unpacked launch events. The ads used phrases such as "the fastest Galaxy ever," "hard carry when playing high-end games," and "the ultimate mobile gaming experience."

Samsung argued that no court found consumers suffered harm because of the advertising. The company said it planned to actively present its position through future legal proceedings.

The fine covers three product lines: Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy Tab S8 series. Standing commissioner Lee Soon-mi said the issue was whether Samsung properly informed buyers at the time of the ads, separate from later fixes.

Galaxy owners first noticed their devices did not feel as powerful as promised four years before the penalty. The expensive fine comes after years of consumer complaints about gaming performance on flagship devices.