Disney found themselves ever-eager to grab a slice of the streaming-service pie that Netflix paved the way with, and now finds themselves one of a countless number of streaming services asking for a monthly subscription. The newest entry to the streaming-service, Disney has had a plethora of companies to analyze their models, optimize their services, and bring about a better package.
You think this would be a simple undertaking for a monstrous company with the size, budget, and international reach of a first-world country.
You would be wrong.
https://twitter.com/imxsimon/status/1196131148369408007
Within twenty-four hours of the launch of Disney+, thousands of users had their accounts stolen from them and were resold for pennies on the dollar on the dark web. With the vast majority of people interested in Disney’s streaming service opting to pay two to three years advance, consumers are finding themselves locked out of their accounts, with zero Disney support to be found, and down hundreds of dollars.
Twitter has been a minefield of Disney+ complaints, and Disney hasn’t been forthcoming with solving any of their clients’ problems.
This is compounded by Disney not having any two-factor authentication for anyone; the correct combination of username and password results in bad-actors being able to change ownership of Disney+ accounts immediately, with no tracking, security, or means of regaining the account. It currently appears that people may simply need to purchase a brand new account to again utilize Disney+ streaming services.
This misstep in security echoes the Epic Game Store release in December 2018, although that had more drastic consequences. The Epic Game Store security breach ended with thousands of bank accounts being emptied, as Epic Game Store held payment processing cards on file, all due to an overlooked security loophole. Disney+ seems fated to follow Epic Game Store, although they should be able to bounce back just on corporate power alone. After all, where else will everyone get their Star Wars fix?
As corporations find themselves eager to continue to approach new avenues of revenue generation, it seems like security continues to be little more than an afterthought. As we continue to ingrain ourselves with the internet and all of its conveniences, it’s worth reminding consumers that corporations aren’t as concerned about your informational safety as they are about your purchasing power.
If you’re the type to look for a silver lining on any rainy day, it’s this: Disney+ accounts with years of prepurchased subscriptions are very cheap on dark-web forums right now, as low as $3. Arguably the best deal you’ll ever find for yet another streaming service.
