Nude Photo Leak Brings Up Issues of Privacy, Internet Security

Kate Upton and other female celebrities were victims of a hacker on Sunday
Kate Upton was one of several female
celebrities whose nude photos were leaked
onto social media by a hacker this past
weekend.
Image: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Last Sunday saw the release of more than sixty nude and risqué photos of female celebrities onto social media—quite possibly the largest such privacy breach in history.

First seen on a 4chan thread, it is thought that one hacker stole the photos from a variety of sources, including hacking the celebrities’ own online photo storage accounts.  Though the authorities have been notified, no suspects have been identified.

Victims included Kate Upton, Jennifer Lawrence, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

"This is obviously an outrageous violation of…Kate Upton's privacy," her lawyer said in a public statement. "We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible."

Lawrence’s spokesperson issued an equally firm statement:  “This is a flagrant violation of privacy.  The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos.”

In the past, stealing and distributing such photos without permission has led to jail sentences, as in 2012, when a man was sentenced to ten years in prison for releasing private photos of Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis.

Despite this, the photos have not been removed from 4chan. 

The situation brings up the larger issue of the lapse of technological savvy with regard to storing information on the cloud.  Security researcher Ken Westin wrote in his blog, “It is important for celebrities and the general public to remember that images and data no longer just reside on the device that captured it.  Once images and other data are uploaded to the cloud, it becomes much more difficult to control who has access to it, even if we think it is private.”

However, the invasion of privacy remains a major factor.  In response to the leak, writer/actress Lena Dunham posted on Twitter:  “The way in which you share your body must be a CHOICE.  Support these women and do not look at these pictures.”

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