The Fappening Female Celebrity Victims Threatening to Sue Google for Allegedly Supporting Pervert Predators
Female celebrities victimised by the nude-hacking photo scandal have united to to threaten to sue Google. Hollywood legal beagle Marty Singer is representing “over a dozen female celebrities,” calling the search engine giant hypocritical for turning a blind eye to the ill-named The Fappening.
In early September, hacked images of female stars, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and Teresa Palmer, have been posted on 4Chan by unknown hackers. Despite warning from the celebrities’ lawyers, the photos could still be searched online.
According to the letter sent by Singer through his Laveley & Singer law firm to the Internet service, Google failed to remove the hacked images of the women on its search engine, and therefore has been “making millions and profiting from the victimisation of women.”
The letter, obtained by TMZ, is addressed to Google’s top bosses, including CEO and co-founder Larry Page and co-founder Sergey Brin.
It claims that the lawyers for the celebrities have been sending notices to various Web sites and host providers to demand that the images be removed in according with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which states that Internet Service Providers and host providers act “expeditiously” to remove unlawful images.
Google has been given the notice, but failed to remove the images within an hour of its receipt. Many of the images are still available on Google’s sites to this day.
And despite Google knowing that the images are stolen properties, it has taken little to no action to stop the violations. Its YouTube counsel and compliance department even refuse to remove the images.
“Google has chosen to protect its revenue stream partners in order to earn multi-millions of dollars on a weekly basis over the rights and protection of individuals. It is shocking that Google is facilitating the dissemination of the Images,” the letter reads.
“…Google is perpetuating the despicable conduct of these habitual pervert predators … by allowing them to continue to operate and post the Images with impunity. Google is knowingly allowing vast and pervasive copyright infringement and violation of privacy rights against these women, who are being repeatedly violated, exploited and victimised.”
Singer also called Google hypocritical for brandishing its “Don’t be evil” motto, but not living up to it.
“Like the NFL, which turned a blind eye while its players assaulted and victimised women and children, Google has turned a blind eye while its sites repeatedly exploit and victimise these women.”
The female celebrity victims’ lawyers are threatening to sue Google for U$100 million [$114 million] unless the hacked images and videos are removed immediately from all Google sites.
