Tamara Burns  |  September 1, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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Backblaze class action lawsuitBackblaze Inc., a leading company specializing in computer data backup and recovery, is the subject of a proposed class action lawsuit filed last Friday. The class action lawsuit alleges Backblaze puts private customer data at risk by shipping them unencrypted external storage drives.

The Delaware-based company charges customers starting at $5 per month per computer to use their proprietary data backup software that is installed on the user’s computer. Once that is set up, customers are able to start automatically backing up their data.

Once customers need to recover their data, they can visit the website to access and download their previously backed-up data. If there is a lot of information to be restored, such as for full restoration of all the files uploaded to the site, an external hard drive can be shipped directly to the user with all of their data included.

Backblaze prides itself on having secure and encrypted service and understands much of the data that customers will upload will contain very sensitive information such as tax returns, banking information, password lists, photographs, medical records and more.

Plaintiff Scott Hellervik takes issue with Backblaze’s procedures for returning a large amount of information back to the user via an external recovery drive. When customers order an external storage drive, Backblaze then unencrypts the data that is loaded onto the drive, and ships it to the customer without added protection, according to Hellervik.

Additionally, when shipping hard drives, the physical packaging contained very concerning private information, the class action lawsuit alleges. According to a label displayed in the court documents, Backblaze has its full name and address, drawing attention to its status as a well-known data backup and recovery company, and includes the recipient’s name and address, of course, but also includes the customer’s phone number and personal email address. “USB Restore” is listed under the department number on the label, exposing the contents within.

According to the Backblaze class action lawsuit, “Sending highly sensitive unencrypted personal information through the mail is reckless. By failing to encrypt customers’ personal information before mailing it (and, in fact, actively unencrypting it), Backblaze allows nefarious parties to target these packages (given the sensitive information disclosed on the shipping labels), intercept them before reaching the intended customers, and access their sensitive personal information.”

Hellervik knew how easy it was for someone else to access his personal data because that was exactly what happened to him, he alleges in his class action lawsuit. Allegedly, Backblaze somehow shipped Hellervik’s external hard drive to another Backblaze customer. That customer, in trying to find the correct owner of the hard drive, simply accessed the restore drive and sifted through Hellervik’s information to find a file that contained Hellervik’s name and number, according to the Backblaze class action lawsuit.

Hellervik, on behalf of the class, brought forth three counts against Backblaze: 1) Breach of Contract; 2) Violation of California’s False Advertising Law; and 3) Violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law.

Hellervik is seeking certification as a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Class of Backblaze users and the subclass of users who had their data restored via external hard drive. He is seeking relief and award for damages, restitution, litigation expenses and pre- and post-judgment interest and any other relief as required.

Hellervik is represented by Samuel M. Lasser, Rafey S. Balabanian, Benjamin H. Richman and J. Dominick Larry of Edelson PC.

The Backblaze Unencrypted Hard Drive Class Action Lawsuit is Hellervik v. Backblaze Inc., Case No. 3:15-cv-03956, in the U.S. District Court for California’s Northern District.

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