The commentators                    02-09-14

...on hacked photographs

I have seen some comments on websites from readers saying: “Well, if they don’t want to have naked photos of them leaked, they shouldn’t take naked photos in the first place?!?!?!?!?!” One can only assume that these saintly people have absolutely nothing on their phones, their internet searches, their laptops or any CCTV footage that would make them feel vaguely uncomfortable if seen by the outside world. As for those who genuinely don’t understand how this is a sexism issue, ask yourselves why there are almost no men included on the list of celebrities whose privacy has been violated.
- Hadley Freeman, The Guardian
Those, like Jennifer Lawrence, who don’t stand in judgment over others are often the hardiest when tested themselves. Nudity doesn’t damage, let alone end careers in Hollywood any more. And I could quite imagine this resilient young woman – an actress Harvey Weinstein once described as “the real deal” – bringing the house down with some PayPal gag when she accepts her next Oscar.
- Celia Walden, Daily Telegraph
Grace Dent
The “Who do you think you are?” brigade will greet any call for internet civility with utter fury, and threaten to blow up one’s home, or cut off one’s tits, etc. All cheerful stuff. But we’re in the web’s wild wild west era. Stay safe people. It’s only going to get crazier out there.
- Grace Dent, The Independent
There are suggestions that prosecution may result not only for the hacker of the photos, but for those who view and share them. Good. To excuse viewing the images just because they’re available is deplorable. It’s the equivalent of creepily hiding in a wardrobe because a conversation may be taking place you’d be interested, excited or turned on to overhear.
-  Van Badham, The Guardian
I am mystified why anyone would electronically store any image — or mail, or text, or message, or any thing at all — which they preferred to remain private. The golden rule of the web is surely that nothing is truly secure from a sufficiently savvy and sinister stranger. Sooner or later, sadly, any moment or memory out there is liable to be stolen, spread, mocked and exploited..
- Robert Crampton, The Times
The ethnicity of the guilty men is a central feature of the abuse, and council officials were certainly inhibited because of it... but this was a regime unwilling to confront the problem at all - regardless of who was behind it. This was a dysfunctional council that operated in a macho atmosphere of bullying and sexism. Women were lesser beings and discussion of subjects such as sex abuse was almost impossible. 
This isn't about political correctness, it's about chauvinism and class
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