Microsoft has purposefully deleted an Xbox player’s entire account, containing 25 years of data, as concerns around a digital-only future grow.
When Sony announced all PlayStation games after 2027 will no longer come on a disc, one of the key concerns is how it’ll force everyone to rely on digital libraries.
We’ve seen countless times how companies can revoke access to digital purchases, like when Sony recently wiped all StudioCanal movies from the PlayStation Store, due to expired content licensing agreements.
This same issue has been exemplified by Microsoft user Joshua Khane, who went viral after he lost all his digital Xbox games, and other personal data, because his account got hacked.
In a post on X, which has received over 75,000 likes, Khane shared an email from Microsoft Support, where he was told his Microsoft account, including all his files stored on OneDrive, are ‘no longer accessible’ to ensure his ‘personal data does not fall into the wrong hands’.
‘To prevent further misuse, we have permanently suspended this account,’ the email reads. ‘This action is irreversible and ensures that your data remains protected.’
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Incredibly, Microsoft hasn’t even offered to reimburse any purchases on his account: ‘If you used this account for Minecraft, we regret to inform you that the game cannot be recovered. A new purchase will be required on a newly created account. We understand this may be disappointing and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.’
Per the email, Microsoft acknowledges that someone got unauthorised access to Khane’s account following an investigation, but they were unable to retrieve the files in his OneDrive due to ‘encryption and privacy safeguards’.
‘Microsoft deleted my account and OneDrive!?’ Khane wrote on X. ‘After acknowledging that I’m the owner of the account and that it was compromised?
’25 f***ing years of data, thousands of euros spent on games? My son’s baby pictures? Gone! All because Microsoft couldn’t bring back a compromised account?? One of the biggest companies ever couldn’t do that do they just deleted that s*** like it was nothing?? F***ing shame on you! [sic].’
In a later post, Khane clarified this extends to his library of digital Xbox games, which started in ‘2009-ish’.
If companies like Sony and Microsoft want people to go digital-only, then they’ll need to provide reassurance that compromised accounts won’t result in the loss of entire libraries. In fact, an Xbox player in Brazil successfully sued Microsoft recently for locking him out of his digital library, after his account was similarly hacked.
Cases like these will only continue in regions with strong consumer protection laws (and be ignored in those that don’t, most obviously the US) if it isn’t addressed.
We’ll have to see what Sony and Microsoft can offer when the PlayStation 6 and Project Helix roll around, but so far neither have made any effort to reassure fans.
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