Canadian firm proposes class action against Sony to the tune of $1B in damages
A proposed class action lawsuit filed in Ontario, Canada against Sony over the PlayStation Network breach is shooting for the jackpot. The suit claims damages "in excess of $1 billion" for the breach of consumer privacy, in part to cover the costs of credit monitoring and fraud insurance over two years for the estimated 1 million PSN and Qriocity users living in Canada.
Toronto law firm McPhadden Samac Tuovi has proposed the class action against Sony Japan, Sony USA, Sony Canada and other Sony "entities," and added in its press release, "While Sony has advised American users about the availability of free credit reports, it has yet to advice Canadian users about credit reports."
Filed on behalf of representative plaintiff Natasha Maksimovic, the claim alleges Sony exposed its customers to identity and financial theft, in addition to "fear, anxiety (and) emotional distress," according to The Canadian Press.
Maksimovic, 21, of Mississauga, Ont., has been described by the law firm as "an avid PlayStation user for years," who signed up for PSN and Qriocity for use on her PSP and Sony e-book. "If you can't trust a huge multinational corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust?" she asked in the firm's release. "It appears to me that Sony focuses more on protecting its games than its PlayStation users."
Sony has 20 days to file a statement of defense in Canada and additional time to do so in the US and elsewhere.
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Toronto – May 2, 2011
For Immediate Release
Canadian Sony PlayStation Network Class Action
Sony has announced that personal information for 77 million PlayStation and Qriocity users worldwide, 1 million of which are in Canada, has been hacked. It has been alleged that Sony was aware that such information had been stolen but failed to advise users of PlayStation and Quriocity in a timely fashion. Sony has acknowledged that stolen information may include users' names, addresses (city, province, postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID and user profile data, including purchase and usage history and billing address (city, province, postal code), and the subscriber's PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers. The same data with respect to a dependent may also have been obtained.
Sony is not able to say whether user credit card or debit card information was also taken.
Sony has acknowledged and apologized for breach. To date, the only compensation Sony has offered is 30 or 60 day free memberships on its PlayStation network.
While Sony has advised American users about the availability of free credit reports, it has yet to advice Canadian users about credit reports.
The Toronto law firm McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP has commenced a proposed class action against Sony Japan, Sony USA, Sony Canada and other Sony entities ("Sony") for the breach of privacy. The lawsuit claims damages in excess of $1 billion, which includes having Sony pay the costs of credit monitoring services and fraud insurance coverage for two years.
The plaintiff in the action is 21 year old Mississauga resident who has been an avid PlayStation user for years. Natasha Maksimovic said: "If you can't trust a huge multi-national corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust. It appears to me that Sony focuses more on protecting its games than its PlayStation users."
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