So, no thread yet on The Fappening???

[Sutton Ross]

Beautifully said, Taryn.

[Broadway Joe]

I don't believe it's right that these women should have had their pictures hacked but at the same time people need to be smarter about how they keep these pictures private.

[Taryn]

I hope they watch what they're wearing in dangerous neighborhoods, too.

[FindingNamo]

I saw the ass of the baseball player taken by the model whose name I've seen before and thought they were talking about the lady who married the future King of England. He has a nice ass but I think she makes him wax his body hair which is a crime.

Anyway, the picture disappeared because apparently THAT was a crime. I guess I'm just rape cultured.

[Broadway Joe]

Tayrn - You're being awfully dramatic with that comparison. It's not the same thing at all. The cloud service is known for not having great security. Why would you willingly keep something as personal as nude photos on a service that is known for being easily hacked into. That's just common sense.

[Taryn]

Sure, I'm being dramatic. But the nonconsensual sharing of sexual photos of women requires a lack of respect for female autonomy that is rampant in our culture. It all feeds into the rape culture that we live in day in and day out. When I say the issue isn't about internet security, I don't mean that there aren't always safer ways to do things in life. There always are. The bigger issue is why do these conversations always turn so quickly so to that point? Why does this conversation always center over what the women should have done differently? Why doesn't the conversation center on what ****heads the people who shared the photos are? Or how our legal system is so behind the times in handling stuff like this? Why is the biggest point of discussion what women need to do to protect themselves, instead of dealing with people who can't respect women's rights to their own person?

[~~tiny3~~]

I happen to agree with BOTH Taryn and BwayJoe. BTW, my OP, in which I used the word "stupid", I will now explain that what I really meant, was to use the words "bad judgment". I in no way meant to express that anyone is "asking for it". No, no, no, no, no. I apologize if my use of the word offended people. It was not meant to. Just trying to express a "common sense" approach. I also happen to agree with SonofRobbie's sentiments

Just being more prudent with their personal stuff, and being ultra aware that there is no such thing as privacy on a device. Internet law is always many steps behind internet crime. It's just something that IS.

@borstal. ck your PMs.

[Broadway Joe]

I simply think it's just common sense that both males and females should be cautious with pictures like this.

If there was a hacker out there interested in male celebrities pictures I'm sure there would be plenty of those pictures going around too.

[HorseTears]

I LOVE (and agree with) every single word of Robbie's post.

[ErikJ972]

"I get it. These women were asking for it," Stewart said. "It's like they said to the Boston Strangler's victims: 'If you don't want to get strangled, you shouldn't have had a neck.'"
Jon Stewart And 'The Daily Show' Are Ready For The NEXT Nude Photo Scandal

[javero]

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of legal fees. I couldn't imagine anyone in his or her right mind trying to slut-shame the victims whom I understand to be all females. However, rights and permissions carry responsibilities as well.

The world is full of bad actors (no pun intended) who will exploit the weak, infirmed, and/or ill-informed at every turn. It's been that way since time immemorial. And if any of you are contemplating positions in government or with government contractors that require an extensive background investigation as a term of permanent employment, I encourage an abundance of caution in how you manage all your digital assets.

[SonofRobbieJ]

I think what we're seeing is a very ugly reaction to the expression of sexuality (female sexuality in this particular case). Most everyone I know has nude photos of themselves. Hell...I have them not just for sexting, but to also track weight loss! I'm enjoying looking at myself as I lose weight! And let's face it...the smaller my belly gets the bigger my d*ck looks. WIN WIN!

The root of the problem in this case is that there is an effort to embarrass and shame female celebrities for daring to do what a large number of us 'normal' folk do all the time. It's the new Scarlet A. If I could have a skype conference call with these women, I'd say, 'Yeah...it sucks. But your sexuality and your body is still yours. Own it. Don't apologize. And never, ever give away your power.'

I do not agree that these women used poor judgment. They simply had photos of themselves as a perfectly legal, healthy expression of their sexuality. They have nothing to be embarrassed about. That quote from Anne Hathaway is as close to perfect as it gets. Sexual photos of women or men are not the problem. And, to be fair, our interest in the human body (of celebs or non-celebs) is perfectly understandable. It's the prurient glee some are feeling over these women being embarrassed by this situation that I truly object to.

[javero]

SonofRobbieJ,

To me, the root of the problem is the lack of personal responsibility coupled with the security challenges that modern consumer-grade digital technology presents. The Internet is inherently unsafe. Hackers are skillful enough to commandeer an unsuspecting user's camcorder attached to an Internet-enabled computer. I've spent years in the cyber security arena and know of what I write. No judgments here, but if you don't want your pix in the commons, don't store them on an Internet-enabled smart phone.

Twenty years ago, the friendly neighborhood one-hour photo processor was most likely the vector of an unwanted exposure. Same script, different cast.

[Liza's Headband]

As United States citizens, however, we are all granted the very basics of individual privacy. Just as we have the reasonable expectation of protection for our financial records, we should have the same reasonable expectation for other personal assets (like pictures not intended for public consumption).That is why, regardless of the sexual content or the hackers' intentions, this is a federal crime due to its invasion of privacy.

[SonofRobbieJ]

'the lack of personal responsibility'

What...exactly...do you mean by that?

[Taryn]

Good God. These women are not responsible for their things getting stolen. The people who STOLE THEIR THINGS are responsible. That is where the personal responsibility lies.

[javero]

Liza's Headband,

I'm not an attorney, but it's my understanding that there are federal statutes to protect an individual's financial and medical records. And I'd like to think that there would be protection for privacy outside those spheres as well. Perhaps I missed it in the earlier threads, but what federal laws have been broken exactly?

ETA: I don't have nude photos of myself on any digital device which I consider the most effective means of protection from this type of security breach. Once again, no moral judgments on my part.

[Liza's Headband]

Perhaps I missed it in the earlier threads, but what federal laws have been broken exactly?

Unlike SuttonRossSueStorm, I do not proclaim to be an expert in federal privacy laws but they were clearly broken. You can Google this and a number of articles will come up addressing the legal side of the scandal. Here is the first one that popped up:

Will there be legal repercussions?

Possibly. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the FBI said it was “aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions … and is addressing the matter.” If the FBI can find the unsavory individuals behind the leak, they’ll likely face a fate similar to “Hollywood hacker” Christopher Chaney, who compromised the e-mail accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Mila Kunis and more than 50 other celebrities in 2011. He was charged with computer hacking for gain, illegal wiretapping and aggravated identity theft and sentenced to 10 years in prison.


WASHINGTON POST

[FindingNamo]

"I do not proclaim to be an expert"

When has not knowing something ever stopped your certitude?

[javero]

Thanks for sharing, Liza's Headband.

An attorney friend of mine is fond of responding to my own diatribes with "f*ck feelings...laws were either broken or not".