An Xbox gamer from Brazil has won a court case against Microsoft, ordering the tech giant to restore the user's blocked account and video game library, as well as pay him monetary compensation.
An Xbox gamer from Brazil has won a court case against Microsoft, ordering the tech giant to restore the user's blocked account and video game library, as well as pay him monetary compensation.
As reported on Reddit by user Ordo_Liberal, a Brazilian court ordered Microsoft to reverse the decision to block access that the company made after the account was hacked.
This saga began three months ago. Microsoft froze the Brazilian's account after "unauthorized access" and stated that "the only option we have is to permanently block this account to prevent its further use." Instead of creating a new profile and building a digital library of games from scratch, Ordo_Liberal sued Microsoft, writes Engadget.
The player noted that hiring a public defender for the lawsuit against Microsoft cost him nothing, as Brazilian law strictly protects consumer rights.
According to the court order, Microsoft has 15 days to restore access to Ordo_Liberal's account. If it fails to do so, the company will pay a fine of 150 reais (approximately $30) per day until compliance, with a maximum fine of 1,500 reais (approximately $300).
The court also ordered Microsoft to pay the user 2,000 reais (about $400) in compensation.
This case may not have as large a financial impact as similar class action lawsuits, but it offers a glimmer of hope to many users who are increasingly worried about companies' mass transition to exclusively digital libraries.
