Class-action lawsuit filed against Sony over PSN data breach

Not one day after Sony announced that the “external intrusion” of its online PlayStation Network last week  caused sensitive user data such as billing addresses and possibly credit card information to be compromised, and the company has already been hit with a class-action lawsuit.

So far, the complaint lists just a single plaintiff.

The suit, filed by Alabama resident Kristopher Johns against SCEA and SCEI, argues the defendants breached several contracts and business codes and failed to provide timely information regarding the leak to consumers.

The case’s Overview cites “breach of warranty, negligent data security,violations of consumers’ rights of privacy, failure to protect those rights, and failure and on-going refusal to timely inform consumers of unauthorized third party access to their credit card account and other nonpublic and private financial information” as cause enough, noting Sony’s “failure to maintain adequate computer data security of consumer personal data and financial data.”

Johns seeks a trial by jury and fitting monetary reimbursement, which includes future credit monitoring and an across-the-board refund for himself and fellow aggrieved customers related to the costs of the PlayStation 3 game consoles purchased and any funds spent over the PlayStation Network.

Analysts have already suggested this data breach could cost the company billions without counting legal complaints from consumers.

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote a letter to SCEA president Jack Tretton asking a question on the minds of concerned gamers everywhere: why did it take so long for Sony to release this critical information to the public?

It’s unclear just how far this suit will go, as a recent Supreme Court ruling found that corporations should be protected against class-action suits. (Via CNET)