Recently in what Apple describes as a “very targeted attack” on celebrity iCloud accounts, a hacker has obtained access to an array of private nude photographs taken by prominent public figures such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst. The hacker posted the photos to 4Chan, an imageboard website, alongside a master list of over 100 female victims.

This attack should be viewed as a major invasion of privacy and should not be tolerated. While the FBI and Apple work to determine the hacker’s identity, members of the public who are choosing to view these images are passively supporting the exploitation of stolen property and furthering the objectification of female bodies.

While other celebrities such as Lena Dunham and Seth Rogen have voiced their support of Lawrence and subsequently condemned the hacker, many citizens are attempting to argue that if these women did not want their photos to be leaked, they should have never taken them in the first place.

As Dunham pointed out on Twitter, “The ‘don’t take naked pics if you don’t want them online’ argument is the ‘she was wearing a short skirt’ of the web.” This practice of victim blaming is dangerously relieving the perpetrators of all responsibility and teaching women to be ashamed of their bodies.

Many of the same individuals placing blame on the affected celebrities probably would not be so quick to blame themselves if they were the victims of a similar privacy breach.

For example, last January when approximately 4.6 million Snapchat users had their phone numbers leaked, the public did not point fingers at the users. When the National Security Administration was revealed to have been monitoring citizen emails and phone calls, the public response was largely critical of the NSA, rather than shaming the general public.

Therefore, turning the tables on the victims of this photo leak is hypocritical. These women likely took these photos without the intention of worldwide exposure and to ignore their right to privacy deprives them of control over their own public image. Each person’s body is uniquely beautiful and individuals should have the freedom to choose who they do or do not share it with.

 

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One Response

  1. Ifappedhard

    Definately a feminest that wrote this article.
    You should rather learn some social media ethics.
    Your picture will get leaked if you take a nude eventually so dont take one whore.

    Reply

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