RockYou Sued for Failing to Protect the Personal Data of its 32 Million Customers

Class action suit filed after RockYou suffers a data breach and reveals the personal information of 32 million registered users.

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(PRNewsChannel) / December 29, 2009 / San Francisco, Calif. / An Indiana man filed a class action lawsuit Monday against RockYou, the developer of popular online applications and services for use with social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, after RockYou failed to safeguard the highly sensitive personal information of him and 32 million others.

The lawsuit alleges that RockYou maintained its customers’ email account and password information, as well as the login credentials for social networking sites, in an unencrypted and unsecured database.  As a result, according to the lawsuit, hackers were able to harvest all of this information by utilizing a well-known and easy-to-prevent exploit.

The lawsuit is brought by Alan Claridge, Jr., of the Evansville, Ind., area.  According to the suit, only after the media began reporting about the data breach did RockYou notify Mr. Claridge and others of the data breach.

“This alleged data breach was by no means unforeseeable.  The means of attack has been well-documented for some time, as has been the means to prevent it,” explained Michael Aschenbrener, the lead attorney for the class action.  “RockYou allegedly did nothing to prevent the attack or safeguard its customers’ sensitive personal information.  How any company in possession of this much data could do nothing to secure it not only violates the law, but also basic common sense.”

The class action seeks injunctive relief and monetary damages for failing to protect RockYou user data.

Aschenbrener’s firm, KamberEdelson, LLC, is a leading class action firm that focuses on internet, technology, and privacy issues. 

“Unfortunately, this represents another in a long line of data loss disasters and cloud computing catastrophes in 2009," says Aschenbrener. "For everyone’s sake, let’s hope companies resolve to protect their customer data in 2010.”

Aschenbrener is joined on the lawsuit by Jay Edelson, Christopher Dore, and Benjamin Richman of KamberEdelson.

To download the complaint:  https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/RockYou_Complaint%20v26__12_27_09_FINAL.pdf

About KamberEdelson, LLC:  KamberEdelson is a nationally-recognized class action law firm that is experienced in complex litigation with a particular emphasis on consumer class action lawsuits.  KamberEdelson has served as lead counsel in dozens of consumer class action lawsuits, including the lawsuits arising from the 2008 contaminated pet food recall, which resulted in a settlement of over $24 million, and the lawsuits involving lead paint contamination with Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Wooden Railway children’s toys, which resulted in a settlement of over $30 million.  Jay Edelson, KamberEdelson’s founder, has a national reputation as a consumer advocate and has testified before the U.S. Senate in connection with the firm’s lawsuits.

Media Contacts:
Glenn Selig
The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7777 or cell: (813) 300-5454
Email:  (BlackBerry)
 
Justin Herndon
The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7778 or cell: (813) 528-6815
Email:  (BlackBerry)

Source: kamberedelson.com

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