The situation around MindsEye is getting worse, and it has now turned into a legal battle. Employees at Build A Rocket Boy have filed a lawsuit against the studio, accusing it of secretly installing spyware on their devices. The legal action is being led by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which claims the studio violated data protection laws and the “basic dignity” of its workers.
According to the complaint, management admitted to installing a program called Teramind on employee computers without their knowledge or consent. This software is said to track keystrokes, record screen activity, and even capture microphone audio, including while employees were working from home. The union stated, “BARB’s use of the software violates both data protection laws and the workforce’s basic dignity, exceeding the legitimate remit of monitoring workers’ productivity or safeguarding the company’s security by recording individuals in their homes and without their consent.”
Employees reportedly discovered the issue after one worker noticed their computer was running slowly and asked for it to be checked. Although the software was removed in March after a complaint from around 40 employees, staff say the company has not explained what data was collected or how it is being stored.
Mark Gerhard, the studio’s CEO, admitted that Teramind had been installed, calling it “enhanced cybersecurity software,” and said it would be temporary. Previously, he has also blamed the poor reception of MindsEye on “organized espionage and corporate sabotage,” even claiming that a €1 million campaign was funded to harm the game’s launch. At the time of writing, Build A Rocket Boy has not responded to the lawsuit. If more information becomes available, we will be sure to update you.
In other MindsEye news, Gerhard has recently stated that the game is “being very well reviewed” and that its sales are “doubling almost weekly”.
