Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Suit

[Nov 08, 2012, 9:32 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Courthouse News Service has details on a class action suit filed against Blizzard for consumer fraud, unjust enrichment, negligence, breach of contract and bailment over being asked to pay for an authenticator to secure Battle.net accounts (thanks na p), noting that Blizzard has made $26 million selling these things at $6.40 a pop (apparently their presumption is they are free to manufacture). Here's word:

Bell claims that Activision and Blizzard require gamers to use online accounts at the Battle.net website, which collects and stores customers' private information.

Blizzard puts the onus on gamers to buy additional products or tighten security on their devices, rather than making customer accounts more secure, Bell claims.

"Defendants negligently, deliberately, and/or recklessly fail to ensure that adequate, reasonable procedures safeguard the private information stored on this website. As a result of these acts, the private information of plaintiffs and class members has been compromised and/or stolen since at least 2007," according to the 33-page complaint.

"Most recently, on or about May 19, 2012, reports proliferated that class members' Battle.net accounts had suffered a security breach ('hack') at the hands of unknown parties ('hackers'), and on or about August 4, 2012, hackers massively breached Battle.net's security and acquired the private information of all of defendants' customers in the United States, as well as the remainder of North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia."

Though account details for millions of gamers were compromised or stolen, Bell says, neither Activision nor Blizzard took "the legally required steps to alert" gamers.

Bell seeks class damages and an injunction to bar the defendants from "tacking on" undisclosed costs after customers have bought games, and from requiring them to sign up for Battle.net accounts.

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14.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 9, 2012, 00:51

Satoru

Riker wrote on Nov 8, 2012, 23:34: Sounds reasonable to me. It sounds like that $26 million was profit. Covering your costs is one thing. Profiting off your own systems' insecurity is another thing entirely. None of that was 'profit' They're selling them AT COST. You can pay up to $10 for even crappy authenticators. $25-50 for RSA branded ones. And the authenticators are only a small fraction of the LICENSING costs to maintain all those authenticators on the back end with licenses required for every single authenticator, on top of the server and maintanence infrastructure. They are 'not making money' by any stretch of the imagination. Note you can get authenticators for free on any cellphone. Ergo if 'making money' was the presumption, why make such an option available? IT's stupid logic that's why. And note Authenticators aren't REQUIRED to play. They're added security. Note you DO NOT HAVE TO USE the RMAH. Thus any idea that you're 'forced' to use an authenticator is again moot. This comment was edited on Nov 9, 2012, 00:56.

13.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 9, 2012, 00:26

Prez

Yeah, if there is a piece of hardware (or complimenting software) that is essentially mandatory, I expect them to provide it.

This. It is insulting beyond belief that Blizzard would have the gall to charge extra or require use of third party solutions for security.




Prez on Soundclick http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=604888

12.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 23:44

Mordecai Walfish

For an authenticator I just use Winaut




Playing: MechWarrior Online, Natural Selection 2, PlanetSide 2, NFS: Hot Pursuit, Torchlight 2, Sine Mora, GTAIV, River City Ransom(NES), Final Fantasy IV Complete(PSP), Patapon 2(PSP), Dariusburst(PSP)

11.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 23:36

Draugr

Tomas wrote on Nov 8, 2012, 22:51: I get more Blizzard spam than any other type which is pretty impressive. That said, I find it rather ridiculous that I'm expected to buy a special device to protect my accounts. I can see it being necessary for WoW as it's an online only game, but for Diablo III that just doesn't make sense. I mean, I just want to play with my buddies on the LAN. Oh, wait... So lame, obnoxious joking aside, I was pretty ticked when I saw all the account theft going on with D3, and when I was pretty much told to buy a device to secure my account that was kind of like getting kicked in the jimmy. I was under the impression that you couldn't use your cell phone for D3...did that change or was I just fed bad informatio Yeah, if there is a piece of hardware (or complimenting software) that is essentially mandatory, I expect them to provide it. They don't sell Guitar Hero without the toy guitar, if this is their solution for security that's fine, but they should do something to make sure it is widely implemente

10.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 23:34

Riker

Sounds reasonable to me. It sounds like that $26 million was profit. Covering your costs is one thing. Profiting off your own systems' insecurity is another thing entirely.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 23:11

HoSpanky

The Smartphone authenticator works for every blizzard game, your info was wron

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 22:51

Tomas

I get more Blizzard spam than any other type which is pretty impressive. That said, I find it rather ridiculous that I'm expected to buy a special device to protect my accounts. I can see it being necessary for WoW as it's an online only game, but for Diablo III that just doesn't make sense. I mean, I just want to play with my buddies on the LAN. Oh, wait... So lame, obnoxious joking aside, I was pretty ticked when I saw all the account theft going on with D3, and when I was pretty much told to buy a device to secure my account that was kind of like getting kicked in the jimmy. I was under the impression that you couldn't use your cell phone for D3...did that change or was I just fed bad informatio

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 22:33

m00t

They are non-free to manufacture, but most likely they have to pay patent license fees to the likes of RSA or something. Also the server hardware does cost a bit to maintain given the number of people (including phone versions) they have to support. As for sharing a dongle between logins, no way. There's no way a company would let anyone else have access to the key sequence. That'd be the dumbest thing ever and basically make them useless from a real security perspective. Given that SecurID tokens can cost upwards of $200, $6 is a steal.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 22:08

JeffD

Dev wrote on Nov 8, 2012, 21:29: They cost something to manufacture, but blizzard can afford to pay it out of the game costs. It doesn't hardly cost $60 for d3, yet thats what they've charged most people for digital version. Alternatively they could use existing authenticator schemes, like the verisign one that I use for paypal and ebay. Then I could have one for all, and they wouldn't have to bother manufacturing. There is to much derp in this post to reply too. As for the lawsuit, lets not give the attention whore any more...err..attention. This lawsuit has NO merit. This bell person is going to need to invest a crapton of money to prove the allegations (of which blizzard has never released even close to full details about) and frankly none of it is going to stick.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 22:03

DrSquick

This is pretty messed up, the authenticator server back-end has to cost a TON of money, these things cost money to make, and probably cost $6 to ship. I always thought it was incredibly generous of Blizzard to sell them for only $6, and then offer the smartphone app for free. Sure, Blizzard might me a super-corp that eats babies for breakfast, but this is not right.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 22:00

nin

HoSpanky wrote on Nov 8, 2012, 21:46:
You can get the authenticator free on any smartphon

I just use the dongl




RollinThundr Apr 17, 2013, 12:25: Eh really tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. If you really want to call that trolling sure. Mr. Tact Apr 17, 2013, 12:33: Pretty sure that's the definition of trolling...

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 21:46

HoSpanky

You can get the authenticator free on any smartphon

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 21:29

Dev

They cost something to manufacture, but blizzard can afford to pay it out of the game costs. It doesn't hardly cost $60 for d3, yet thats what they've charged most people for digital version. Alternatively they could use existing authenticator schemes, like the verisign one that I use for paypal and ebay. Then I could have one for all, and they wouldn't have to bother manufacturing.

Re: Battle.net Authenticator Class Action Sui

Nov 8, 2012, 21:22

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