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Sony Settles 2011 PSN Hack Lawsuits

John-Shepard 10 Comments

Back in 2011, the PlayStation Network was attacked by hackers. The intruders brought the service down for three weeks and put millions of users' personal information at risk.

Afterward, Sony offered a "Welcome Back" program as an apology, but a few particularly irate consumers didn't think this was sufficient. Hence, the lawsuits leveled at the electronics titan. Now, as reported by Polygon , Sony and the plaintiffs have reached a $15 million settlement agreement.

Those who did not receive any games during the Welcome Back program get two benefits: Either a game for the PS3 or PSP, three PS3 themes, or a three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus. You can choose two of the same benefit if you wish; these will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis until the total compensation value hits $6 million. If that cap is reached, users can then receive one month of Plus.

If you did get games during the Welcome Back program, you can snag one additional PS3 or PS3 title, three PS3 themes, or one three-month Plus membership. These will be handed out until the total valute hits $4 million, after which a month of Plus is on the table. You just have to bear in mind that these Plus benefits are only for those who have never subscribed to the service before.

Here are the available titles:

The settlement still has to be approved by a judge but once that happens, all of this is finally over.

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Sony Hit With First PSN-Related Lawsuit

Ben-Dutka 147 Comments

Well, it was bound to happen.

The first lawsuit resulting from the PlayStation Network ordeal has been filed : Kristopher Johns, 36, of Birmingham, Alabama has filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; the plaintiff accuses Sony of "not taking reasonable care to protect, encrypt, and secure the private and sensitive data of its users." He also says Sony took too long to notify consumers that their personal information had been compromised, which resulted in customers being unable to "make an informed decision as to whether to change credit card numbers, close the exposed accounts, check their credit reports, or take other mitigating actions." Unsurprisingly, the lawsuit is asking for "monetary compensation and free credit card monitoring."

This comes hot on the heels of the letter CT Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to SCEA president Jack Tretton, saying he was concerned that Sony didn't tell their customers fast enough. If you want more information concerning the PSN breach, make sure to check Sony's Q&A .

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