The only shocking part of this story is that it didn't happen 1.5 seconds after the story originally broke. Nevertheless, outraged gamers have finally decided to slap Sony with a class action suit over the PlayStation Network hacking situation.
The Rothken Law Firm filed the suit in California, where all good lawsuits are born, and it alleges that Sony "failed to take reasonable care to protect, encrypt, and secure the private and sensitive data." Naturally, the law firm seeks monetary compensation for PSN users.
"Sony's breach of its customers' trust is staggering," said co-counsel J.R. Parker. "Sony promised its customers that their information would be kept private. One would think that a large multinational corporation like Sony has strong protective measures in place to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of personal information, including credit card information. Apparently, Sony doesn't."
So there you go, folks. The lawsuit we knew was coming is now officially on. Do you think that's unfair, or are you planning to hold your hands out for some sweet compensatory loot?
Sony Sued for PSN Security Breach [IGN]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
4:20 PM on 04.27.2011 | 
For putting people's data at risk, they need the book throwing at them, I doubt the US's corporate loving courtrooms is the place to do it.
Not sure how I feel about a lawsuit till all the info is out.
Yep, because of me forcing a gun to your head and making you read EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
My job is to write stories on Destructoid. I tend to write more stories than other editors due to my typing speed and availability. PSN stories have been the most common today. Hence I wrote them.
Sorry if my job is irritating to you, sir, but you have a choice to not read them. You certainly don't have to comment on them, thus increasing their popularity and sending the message that more can be written.
Unless it turns out anyone was actually HARMED financially or otherwise, this thing isn't going to go anywhere. Changing passwords and canceling a credit card is probably worth what, $5 a person?
The amount of work it takes to be INVOLVED in one of these suits isn't worth the few dollars you might get out of it.
Speaking of which, could you move the barrel to my stomach, my sweat is making it rusty :L
Meh... the greed train continues rolling.
because I have nothing productive to say on these
Maybe the money will come directly out of their Move division. Then it will shut down and and there's a chance every kinect will explode and everybody is happy.
I give my information and credit card stuff to a company that should already care for there customers.
I want something back or a better message then them saying were sorry... thats crap.
A company like that should have great security on things, they only have around 100million customers through out there whole sony stuff.
And 20 million of them are at risk.
so terrible
Did people sue Mastercard or visa or whoever it was that has like 1.5 millions pieces of personal information stolen from them and the company that was stolen from WAS the security company HOLDING the informationl, suposedly, locked up tigh.
What a joke, some people need to get a life.
I have a feeling it will have been punished enough by the time this is over.
Rothken Law firm,eh?
Correct, in the states there has to be harm done for suing to occur, no matter how lax the security is.
Sony could have been storing your credit card info on a text file on playstation.com/creditcardz.txt and unless someone downloaded them, they could wipe their brows and high five for dodging a bullet.
In countries with real data protection laws though, they could be in trouble. If the UK do investigate, there's a a maximum fine of £5 million if it's found that Sony didn't take proper steps to secure the data.
I dont want to be stuck with having to pay 300 dollars plus live to get a new system.
Maybe it'll only be available to people who aren't part of the lawsuit?
This is kinda a big deal in the gaming industry so shut the fuck up. Here's a splendid idea. Don't read it:)
*£5 PSN store credit only applies on providing your credit card details to Sony >_>
Thats how it works right?
Right?
but on the other hand I kinda pity them if there's now this class action suit coming up. this won't make it easier for them
Sony won't do shit unless they have the threat of a lawsuit on their ass.
You really think Sony hasn't got the money to pay for this? I'm not saying either way that they should pay for it here, just the fact that they'd have to "increase costs to gamers to pay for legal fees" is ridiculous, they're the "world's fifth largest media conglomerate with US$77.20 billion" (from Wikipedia). If they increased costs they're likely to lose customers, especially if it was due to them needing to give gamers money as compensation for this.
What I could see happening is them trying to improve PSN and charging for it but then they're more directly competiting with XBL and from what I've heard they'd need to step up the quality of the service to justify that. That and all of the consumer confidence they've already lost probably wouldn't help.
You should be all right with a credit card, just keep a close eye on your statements and action a chargeback on any transactions you don't recognise.
Debit cards are SOL though.
Do they just give this guy money?
While I completely agree that we live a culture a ready to sue over breaking wind, with a situation like this, where you have a faceless corporate entity not fulfilling obligations and has no personal connection with its consumer base, it would seem that a lawsuit, or at least the potential of one, would be the only thing to spur any kind of action. I guess the short question is: do you think that Sony would really do the right thing?
While I personally think that this is a good idea for banks to help people out cause we don't always pay attention to what gets charged on our cards unless we are checking our own personal accounts on a regular basis this apparently pisses people off to know that we are trying to keep people's identity and personal information secure, Stupid people just boggle my mind.
It's class action, so anyone who was affected can sign up and join in. If you win, the greedy lawyer bastards take a massive financial cut and the little guy gets close to fuck all.
It's a horrible system.