Labor Day weekend was disrupted with news that nude photos of a few female celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, had been leaked online. She is just one of many on a list of celebrities who have allegedly had their photos stolen from their iCloud accounts and circulated on social media. If you didn’t already know, I implore you to hesitate before you fire up that incognito window and consider the ramifications of promoting the invasion of a person’s privacy.
By intentionally viewing and downloading these photos, you are contributing to the violation of numerous women’s privacy and bodies. These photos are intimate moments that belong to the eyes of the people in them or to whom the photos were intended. To have those moments stolen and broadcasted to the world is a disturbing act of mental assault. Furthermore, the people who have decided to intentionally share these images are continuing an ongoing attack.
A representative for Lawrence made a statement to Daily Mail saying that the hackers behind this violation of privacy will be prosecuted: “This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.”
So, it is clear that as the victim of this crime, Lawrence wishes that people did not aggravate the indiscretion any further. Therefore, if you continue to do so anyway, you are proclaiming that your personal enjoyment and curiosity take priority over the dignity of the exposed celebrities.
For those who classify this incident as merely a scandal, do not be mistaken. This is a crime. It is a blatant, illegal violation of privacy concerning intimate photos and not just a subject for gossip. Labeling it as a scandal gives the impression that the exploited women are responsible and that the photo-sharing was consensual. This is certainly not the case.
In the rape culture that we are engulfed in, it is unavoidable that people will suggest these famous women brought it on themselves. There is undoubtedly an ongoing belief that females are responsible for guarding themselves from abuse. This results in a dangerous mentality that women should not partake in any type of activity that could potentially be exploited by other people, who are amazingly never responsible for their actions. However, women are permitted to engage in their sexuality any way they see fit, and if that happens to include nude photos then that is their entitlement.
I will not seek out these images and will advise everyone else to abstain too. It is hypocrisy that people will ardently object to a free Facebook messenger app because of reports that it accesses phone numbers but thoughtlessly shares images of women’s bodies all over the Internet. No doubt some will regard this story as just another feminist rant, but everyone has the right to privacy. No level of celebrity status should change that.
