Blizzard facing class-action lawsuit over authenticators

World of Warcraft creator Blizzard Entertainment is on the receiving end of a class-action lawsuit filed this morning by players who allege that the company is unfairly forcing players to purchase Battle.net authenticators in order to keep their accounts secure.

The two plaintiffs claim that in lieu of providing account security to Battle.net players, Blizzard puts the burden of protection in the hands of the subscriber and encourages the purchasing of authenticators. The suit alleges that the sale of authenticators has earned Blizzard $26 million and that Blizzard is profiting "unjustly" from players looking to secure their accounts.

The suit mentions several examples of Battle.net accounts being compromised, specifically noting the hack of Battle.net that occurred in August and Blizzard's confirmation of a rise in compromises in May. It also notes that the free authenticators for smartphones were compromised, which the plaintiffs say makes buying a physical authenticator the only true way to protect an account from theft.

Activision Blizzard hasn't offered a response as of yet. The two plaintiffs seek damages and an injunction that would prevent Blizzard from adding what the suit describes as "undisclosed fees" to ensure the security of Battle.net accounts (in other words, no more selling of authenticators).

We'll keep you updated as we hear more.

TH