Sony Agrees To Settle 2011 Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit

A few years ago back in 2011, Sony’s PSN was hacked. This was a huge deal as many had feared that their credit cards had been compromised. What made it worse was that Sony apparently knew that their defense systems were obsolete but yet did not make any move to change it until it was too late.

Fast forward a few years, Sony was hit by a class action lawsuit over the data breach and according to recent reports, Sony has finally agreed to settle for $15 million. While the settlement has yet to be approved by the judge, if and when it does, it will see Sony give out benefits such as free PlayStation 3 and PSP games to those affected by the data breach.

They will also be giving free PlayStation 3 theme, free subscriptions to PlayStation Plus, free subscriptions to Sony’s Music Unlimited service, and free SOE Station cash. Now back in 2011, Sony apologized through a program called “Welcome Back”. It basically offered PSN members free games as a thank you for sticking with Sony throughout the ordeal.

For those who missed out on the Welcome Back package, your claims will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be subject to an aggregate cap of $6 million. They will also be able to choose between two separate options or one PSN benefit option. As for those who did participate, you guys will be eligible for one game benefit, a theme benefit, or a PlayStation Plus subscription.

The final fairness hearing where the judge will assess the reasonableness of the outcome is expected to be held on the 1st of May 2015, but in the meantime what do you guys think of Sony’s reparations? Are they enough considering the extent of the breach?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Gaming
Tags: Legal, psn, Sony