Recently, a troubling new trend has emerged – nude celebrity photos and videos distributed by Islamic extremists. This insidious form of cyberbullying is becoming increasingly common, with nude images and videos of celebrities being circulating among individuals on internet chatrooms and other social media platforms. It’s an invasion of privacy that violates an individual’s right to free expression while simultaneously exploiting the victims for financial gain or other nefarious purposes.
The outcomes of this type of harassment are incredibly severe, and range from emotional distress to damaged reputations and even legal repercussions for those involved. One example includes the incidents of stolen nude photos from dozens of well-known female celebrities, including actress Jennifer Lawrence, model Kate Upton and athlete McKayla Maroney; all were victims of this exploitative dissemination by Islamic extremists in 2014 via their online accounts.
Though the responsibility for these types of invasions certainly rests on the perpetrators themselves, there have been cases where third parties have unknowingly perpetuated this type of activity by sharing illegally obtained content without consent from either the perpetrator or victim. Not only does this incriminate those who share it unknowingly as a party to possible criminal behavior; it also reinforces existing hegemonic structures that oppress women—and particularly non-White women—from participating freely within both digital and physical landscapes free from harassment.
These issues demonstrate why proactive preventative methods need to be implemented across platforms wherein users can quickly report such exploits in real time with sufficient anonymity given varying degrees of cultural sensitivities or public shaming concerns that affect how some may respond given mainstream notions surrounding respectability politics and gender equality opportunities usually within Muslim cultures who are seen as less progressive in seeking out justice/ advocacy regarding such matters when compared to Western counterparts. At its core, acts like these infringe upon many fundamental human rights that should be provided universally regardless one’s demographic background or geographical locale.