A South Korean Internet auction site was not to blame for the leakage of personal information on millions of users after hackers breached its system, a court ruled Thursday.
Internet Auction, a subsidiary of US firm eBay, was hacked in February 2008, leading to the theft of private information on more than 10 million users, including web IDs, home addresses and phone numbers.
Some 145,000 users filed a series of collective suits against the firm for "emotional distress", citing fears the leaks would lead to problems such as credit card fraud and identity theft.
"Although it is regrettable that Internet Auction was not able to prevent the hacking, it is hard to say that the company made a mistake," the Seoul Central District Court said in a ruling quoted by Yonhap news agency.
"Holding an Internet-based company responsible for stolen personal information from hacking should be limited to cases when the company failed to uphold its duties."
South Korea is one of the world's most wired nations, with more than 90 percent of homes connected to the Internet.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
