Rockstar ‘Pathologically Obsessed’ with GTA Secrecy, Former Devs Say

In the latest employee tribunal case in Edinburgh, Rockstar compared its internal security to Apple’s and Coca-Cola’s.

For those unaware, a legal battle is currently underway in Glasgow, UK, between the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and Rockstar over the alleged wrongful termination of 34 employees. During the proceedings, Rockstar’s internal security details were mentioned, which spoke about adopting the security posture of a Wall Street Bank.

Rockstar Compares Its Internal Security to Apple’s and Coca-Cola’s Standards

According to court documents shared by Videotech on X (formerly Twitter), Apple has stated that “guarding the secrets of the unique gameplay and design are akin to Apple protecting the iPhone, or Coke protecting its formula.” The claimants have also mentioned working on “highly sensitive and important” systems, which is why the company has adopted “the security posture of a Wall Street bank.” The documents indicate that expectations regarding security and privacy are significantly higher than those of most employers.

The document states that all visitors to the offices must sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and that contractors working on-site will always be accompanied by security personnel. Additional security measures include restricting remote work, banning external storage devices, prohibiting photography, and preventing employees from connecting personal devices to Rockstar’s systems. Furthermore, a former Technical director described Rockstar as having “a near pathological obsession with confidentiality.”

Adding to Rockstar’s security, the documents further reveal that they have to put privacy films on their buildings, as people have been seen using drones to photograph through their windows. The company faces regular assaults on its security and systems, and its staff is harassed online.

As a result, it has assembled a “full-time team of five investigators and a director” to monitor and investigate potential data leaks. The company revealed that employees face phishing and social engineering attacks to obtain information; some have succeeded, which led to the 2022 GTA 6 leaks. Rockstar also mentioned that character names have leaked and cited the recent Cyberleek leaks. All of this has led the company to become “hypervigilant” about locking down information “as tightly as possible.”

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