Microsoft deletes user's account after it was hacked, wiping 25 years of data and thousands of euros worth of games

Microsoft has recently been facing criticism over account-related issues. Just recently, an Xbox player won a lawsuit against the company after being locked out of their account. Now, another incident has surfaced, this time involving a streamer who claims Microsoft permanently deleted his account after it was compromised, resulting in the loss of 25 years of personal data.

On X, streamer Joshua Khane said that Microsoft deleted both his Microsoft account and the OneDrive linked to it after it was hacked. According to Khane, the account contained 25 years' worth of data, including irreplaceable family memories such as baby photos of his son. He also claimed he had spent thousands of euros on games tied to the same account, all of which are now inaccessible.

Khane shared a screenshot of an email from Microsoft explaining the decision. In the email, the company said its investigation confirmed that the account had been accessed by an unauthorized person and that the account's security information had been changed. However, Microsoft said that, under its security policies and the Microsoft Services Agreement, it could not modify or reverse those security changes.

According to the email, Microsoft permanently suspended the account to prevent any further misuse, adding that the decision is irreversible. The company also noted that if the account had been used to purchase Minecraft, that purchase could not be recovered, meaning the game would need to be bought again on a new Microsoft account.

Microsoft further stated that any files stored in the associated OneDrive account are no longer accessible. The company explained that, because of its encryption and privacy protections, even its own engineers cannot recover the data once the account has been permanently closed.

Following the incident, Khane posted several frustrated messages on X, criticizing Microsoft's handling of the situation. He said he couldn't understand how one of the world's biggest technology companies was unable to recover his account and instead deleted it "like it was nothing."