Hollywood Nude Photo Scandal Not a Matter of Morality

Hollywood’s recent nude photo scandal is worth noting not for its explicit exposure of female celebrities’ photos, but how personal information is largely exposed in the Internet age.

Recently, an American website exposed many Hollywood celebrities’ explicit photos, including those of the Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, Rihanna and others. The tabloids have made the whole scandal even more salacious. Lawrence’s spokesman has confirmed the incident and expressed the intention to pursue those responsible via legal means.

Many nosy onlookers may focus on the explicit photos themselves, and some moralists also blame the female celebrities for their “bad behavior” or “not reaching the high moral standards of a public figure,” but what should be understood is the photos were all private photos of grownup celebrities. The stars did not want the photos revealed. Even if they were inappropriate, that is not the focus of the problem. The larger picture involved has nothing to do with the skin exposed, but the large-scale exposure of personal information.

The information age and the advancement of the Internet have brought unprecedented convenience to everyone, but at the same time, they also make people unwittingly connect more personal information to the Internet. Most people have some levels of consciousness about protecting their personal information; they know how to use passwords, firewalls, etc. to stop any peeping digital thieves.

With the countless pairs of online eyes watching in the Internet world, many regular users have had to get help from network security software firms, but data has shown that even this type of digital security might have installed some kind of back door, full of potential flaws and visible only to peepers. This is making Internet citizens feel more insecure about their personal information, not to mention people’s worries about more powerful eyes ever since the PRISM incident.

“While the priest climbs a post, the devil climbs ten.”

The more advanced the Internet age becomes, the more threats personal information security faces. It is not wise or realistic to give up the Internet. Simply asking users to “value personal privacy” or to “increase sense of protection” is also inadequate.

The real way out is in legislation and law enforcement, to strengthen the attack and prosecution of Internet peepers, to stop the selling of personal information from the source, to stop the special back door for peepers, its one-way transparency, and other unfair practices toward individual users. At the same time, we need to increase the punishment for digital thieves and any theft, dissemination and illegal acquisition of personal information, and punish anyone who does so for profit or other purposes. Only then can personal information and privacy be truly and fundamentally protected in the Internet age.