Illegal sharing of nude photos, or so-called revenge porn, has ended in several major scandals over the years and has proven to be a recurring problem for decades.
We have examples such as the sex tape of Pamela Anderson (54) and Tommy Lee (59) who went astray and shook an entire world in the 90’s (the story that is currently making great success as a separate series on Disney +), and not to mention about the much talked about sex tape of Kim Kardashian (41) who ended up going viral all over the world in 2007 after it too has been leaked.
Over the years, hacking has become more complicated than ever. New technology means that hacking and spreading methods occur more frequently and on a much larger scale.
In 2014, nearly 500 nude photos of a large number of celebrities spread online in a photo scandal known today as “The Fappening”. The photos were obtained from a computer hacker who gained access to an infinite number of iCloud passwords that he used to log in to celebrities’ private online accounts. The incident was a horrific example of lack of security in personal online accounts with iCloud, Snapchat and e-mail services, among others.
Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Lawrence (31), Rihanna (33) and Selena Gomez (29) are among the victims of the incident. Such cases have also been witnessed in Norway, among others Sophie Elise Isachsen (27) and Nora Mørk (30) has been exposed to being hacked and had private photos spread online.
According to Nettavisen’s experience, several international and Scandinavian celebrities have again been exposed to the same thing. The handling of the gross leaks, on the other hand, seems to have taken a new turn.
Got hot tips from a Norwegian expert
To prevent the spread of images that have first been leaked, celebrities have often chosen a distant strategy by keeping quiet about the leak and the spread. In some cases, this has worked against its purpose as the silence has often led to more speed on the rumor mill.
Recently, however, there has been a clear change in the way large and public profiles handle the leakage of intimate photos. Some choose to make humor out of the pictures and the situation they have ended up in.
In recent months, it is especially an international celebrity who has attracted attention with his handling of the leak.
The celebrity himself has not commented on the pictures that have gone astray, other than the comments in social media that hint at the content that has been leaked. So far, the person in question has not wanted to answer Nettavisen’s inquiries. Therefore, the person is kept anonymous in this case.
When the unnamed celebrity was exposed to a series of nude photos of himself spread online, he took the opportunity to share Twitter messages and Instagram stories with descriptions of himself that others used about him after the intimate photos had passed. viral. The grip quickly put a lid on the interest in the leaked pictures, and several have praised the person for standing up for themselves in that way.
However, the strategy is not random. The arrest is said to have been advised by the Norwegian hacker expert, Mia Landsem (24).
– The person contacted me for help. We talked together and I advised the person to own the situation and take control back over their own body, says Mia Landsem to Nettavisen.
Encourages to own the situation yourself
Mia Landsem is a Norwegian lecturer, ethical hacker and “data detective” who works online to expose people behind so-called revenge porn, or illegal sharing of nude photos. She is behind the Instagram profile “Mialandsem” where she has over 16,000 followers to whom she daily shares advice and important info about the problem.
According to Landsem, one kills the mystery around the pictures that have been leaked, and in a way makes it all safe by addressing the fact that there are intimate pictures of oneself online. According to Landsem, the victim appears strong by strategically owning the situation himself in that way.
– It is a great strain for the victims to be exposed to revenge porn or hacking of intimate pictures that are spread online. Although celebrities may seem strong in public, for many it can feel as if all hope is gone, Landsem says.
She therefore advises to take control of the situation, and that in a way it can feel better, even if you do not necessarily get control over the sharing of images that have gone astray.
Also read: Emily Ratajkowski talks about whether the nude photos “everyone” wants to see (+)
Landsem is one of the Nordic region’s foremost in the problem and works daily to help celebrities and young people with revenge porn. To Nettavisen, she can reveal that she has been contacted by several big celebrities recently.
– I have received far too many inquiries and I get them all the time. Without being able to say so much or mention names, I have been in contact with most of the cases you know of, Landsem says to Nettavisen.
Celebrity manager: – Supports the strategy
Celebrity manager David Eriksen (54) has a number of big stars in the stable in the agency Eccentric People. Among others Tone Damli Aaberge (33), Alexandra Joner (31) and Iselin Guttormsen (34).
Eriksen says that he has been impressed by the way several celebrities have handled hacker attacks and illegal photo sharing, and supports Landsem’s method. Still, he believes it is not necessarily a method that suits everyone.
– I think it’s a very good way to do it. You show the whole world that there are such assholes out there and that it is a reality everyone can be affected by. But let’s say you are seven years older and have a child for example, then there are several considerations that must be taken into account and then that effect is not necessarily as lucky either, he points out.
Eriksen himself has experienced having private photos leaked and illegally shared. He says that such situations are usually handled privately and that the principle “the less you say, the less the problem becomes” is often the way to go. He makes no secret of the fact that it is an extreme burden for those affected.
– Being a familiar face and feeling that everyone has seen you naked affects you quite strongly. I feel it has been taken a little too lightly, but now it looks like it has become more orderly, Eriksen says to Nettavisen.
Work continuously to secure the profiles as best as possible
It is not until recent years that Eriksen has worked specifically to secure the data content of the profiles in Eccentric People. He makes no secret of the fact that in the beginning there was very little one could do.
– In the beginning, it was of course limited for what one could do without giving a clear message to the profiles that whatever they do, they must not have harmful content on their phones, he says.
Also read: Shared intimate photos of Sophie Elise – two people fined
As the risk has become considerably greater, he takes this very seriously and tries to equip the profiles as best he can. Eriksen has, among other things, had courses on online washing and had a visit from Mia Landsem where they have worked with various strategies to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Among other things, to change passwords frequently and take notices of data leakage seriously. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of being one step ahead at all times, by taking the aforementioned precautions seriously.
As mentioned, illegal sharing of nude photos is nothing new, but the spread and hacking methods are becoming increasingly complicated. According to Landsem, it is about taking early action and using the right security systems. In the vast majority of cases, it is the computer security of the celebrities that has been too poor, she claims.
Landsem is surprised by the management’s lack of knowledge and experiences it as far too bad.
– There are many celebrities who come to me and ask for advice on what to do after they have been hacked. This is often due to the fact that their management is not well enough equipped to take care of their profiles because they lack resources and knowledge.
According to Landsem, there are still many who, for example, do not see the importance of a secure Instagram account. She has experienced celebrities with over half a million followers on social media who do not use 2-step verification, a security routine that requires a password you receive in addition to a password you have already created.
2-step verification makes the account more secure because it prevents others from logging in to an account even if an unauthorized person knows the password.
Stricter penalties – still a long way to go
Last summer, the government passed a new law, section 267 a. And b, where the sharing of infringing images is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year. Gross sharing of infringing images is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years.
This is the new law for illegal sharing of infringing images:
Last summer, the government passed a new law, section 267 a. And b. Sharing of offensive images and Gross sharing of offensive images.
It reads as follows:
§ 267 a. Sharing of infringing images etc. A fine or imprisonment for up to 1 year is punishable by anyone who unjustifiably makes available another image, film or audio recording of an offensive or manifestly private nature, for example of someone’s sexual life or intimate body parts, someone who is subjected to violence or other humiliation, or someone who is themselves in a very vulnerable or vulnerable situation. Serious negligent violation is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 6 months.
§ 267 b. Gross division of infringing images etc.
Serious violation of § 267 a first paragraph is punishable by imprisonment for up to 2 years. In deciding whether the infringement is serious, special emphasis shall be placed on the nature and extent of the material made available, whether the infringement has a systematic or organized character, whether it is motivated by revenge or involves a breach of trust, and whether it has resulted in particularly great strain on the aggrieved.
–
–
–
Although Landsem experiences that the police follow up on such cases to a much greater extent than before, she still experiences that a lot is dropped. She believes that there is still a long way to go to overcome this type of computer crime.
There are several reasons why someone chooses to steal private content, and then share it online.
According to Landsem, there are some who do it to make money by selling it on to websites that post the pictures online. In other cases, it may be people who do not feel a sense of belonging in any group, and who seek attention by using the content as a digital currency to gain access and a kind of status among others.
Landsem believes it can also be about something as simple as an adrenaline rush and the search for excitement by sitting on content they should not have. No matter who it is, or what the cause is, it is often the same way the abusers operate. Landsem can therefore not emphasize well enough the importance of having secure accounts online.
–
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/eluniverso/7VSG2FWQLBD4VEQSEVY7O5AE6U.jpeg "Prosecutor’s Office raided TC Television and a company as part of the investigation of a case of alleged embezzlement | Policy | News")