Irony Alert! ESRB Releases Email Addresses of Blizzard Real ID Complainants

ESRB has massive privacy fail.

Posted by Staff
Irony Alert! ESRB Releases Email Addresses of Blizzard Real ID Complainants
While Blizzard has backed down over the implementation of the Real ID system in its forums, the privacy concerns are not over for some. The ESRB, responding to over 1,000 emails protesting the mandatory use of real names in Blizzard's forums, has gone and revealed every single email address on its list of concerned citizens.

Whoever hit 'send' on a blanket email sent out by the organisation failed to conceal the recipients' addresses, meaning they were visible to everyone who got the email. In that very message, the ESRB wrote that it "helps companies develop practices to safeguard users' personal information online". The email address it was sent from is Privacy@esrb.org.

Blizzard, for its part, has declared that real names will not have to be used in its forums, following a huge great helping of uproar. Real ID will still be implemented in Blizzard games on an optional basis.

If you want to read that email from the ESRB, have a look below. If you want to see that list of email addresses, you can bloody well go look elsewhere.

Thank you for contacting the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) regarding the policy recently announced by Blizzard Entertainment which would have required participants in its official forums to post comments using their real first and last names, and for expressing your concerns regarding potential privacy implications.

It is our understanding that Blizzard has provided an update announcing that it will not be implementing the above-referenced policy with respect to its forums, and users will not be required to post using their real names. You can read Blizzard's announcement regarding this most recent development at http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278&sid=1&pageNo=1.

Separately, if you have questions regarding Blizzard's implementation of its Real ID option -- which by our understanding is unrelated to Blizzard's plans for its forums -- and/or the new capabilities this option offers, they will likely be answered by reviewing the information posted at http://www.battle.net/realid/.

ESRB, through its Privacy Online program, helps companies develop practices to safeguard users' personal information online while still providing a safe and enjoyable video game experience for all. We appreciate your taking the time to contact us with your concerns, and please feel free to direct any future inquiries you may have regarding online privacy to our attention.

Regards,

Entertainment Software Rating Board


Source: Wow.com.
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