Blizzard says information security lawsuit is 'without merit' and uses 'false information'

Blizzard says the class-action lawsuit filed against it last week for taking insufficient measures to protect players' personal information and adding hidden fees for proper security is "without merit and filled with patently false information," reports GamesIndustry.biz.

Blizzard says the accusation that the company did not properly alert players of an August 2012 security breach is false, and at the time Blizzard clearly outlined how the breach would affect players and how the situation would be rectified through posts on its website.

The company also says the suit misunderstands usage of the Battle.net Authenticator, which the suit states is a hidden fee necessary to obtain the "minimal" amount of security on Battle.net accounts. Blizzard says the Authenticator is an optional security tool to help players protect personal information if it is compromised outside of Blizzard's network, such as in a phishing attempt or by a website containing a virus in its code. The statement that the Authenticator is a "hidden fee" is untrue as well, since it is also available as a free application for iOS and Android devices.

"We want to reiterate that we take the security of our players' data very seriously, and we're fully committed to defending our network infrastructure," Blizzard said in a statement to GamesIndustry. "We also recognize that the cyber-threat landscape is always evolving, and we're constantly working to track the latest developments and make improvements to our defenses.

"Many players have voiced strong approval for our security-related efforts," the company added. "Blizzard deeply appreciates the outpouring of support it has received from its players related to the frivolous claims in this particular suit."