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Celebrities are readying to sue Google for $100 million for not pulling down — and even allegedly profiting off — the private hacked photos that have been leaking online since Labor Day weekend.
As Gossip Cop has been reporting, Reddit, 4chan and several sites have posted naked pics of, among others, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Gabrielle Union, Amber Heard, Meagan Good, Kim Kardashian, Jenny McCarthy, Vanessa Hudgens, Hayden Panettiere, and Rihanna.
Now powerhouse Hollywood attorney Marty Singer, representing more than a dozen stars, models and athletes, has fired off a legal letter to Google and its executives demanding the company remove the hacked photos from its search engine.
In the letter, obtained by Gossip Cop, Singer blasts Google for its “despicable, reprehensible conduct in not only failing to act expeditiously and responsibly to remove the Images, but in knowingly accommodating, facilitating and perpetuating the unlawful conduct.”
“Google is making millions and profiting from the victimization of women,” says Singer, who on behalf of his clients, feels the company’s “blatantly unethical behavior” could result in damages in excess of $100 million.
Singer writes, “Google knows that the Images are hacked stolen property, private and confidential photos and videos unlawfully obtained and posted by pervert predators who are violating the victims’ privacy rights and basic human decency by stealing and displaying confidential private photos and videos (most of which depict the women in private settings, while nude or semi-nude, engaging in private intimate conduct) without the permission of the owners of the Images. Yet Google has taken little or no action to stop these outrageous violations, or to limit the Images from appearing in Google search results.”
He adds, “It is shocking that Google is facilitating the dissemination of the images,” and has decided instead 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.”
Singer states, “If your wives, daughters or relatives were the victims of such blatant violations of basic human rights, surely you would take appropriate action. But because the victims are celebrities with valuable publicity rights, you do nothing – nothing but collect millions of dollars in advertising revenue from your co-conspirator advertising partners as you seek to capitalize on the scandal rather than quash it.”
Not only does the celebrity lawyer want Google to remove the hacked nude photos, but he also wants the search engine giant to penalize sites that have posted the pictures.
While Gossip Cop has written extensively about the leaked nude pics, because it’s a legitimate news story with numerous implications about famous inviduals, we have not — nor will — post any of the photos.
Singer concludes that “Google’s ‘Don’t be evil’ motto is a sham.”
Google has yet to respond.
What do you think of the lawyer’s stance?
