An attorney for several celebrities whose iCloud accounts were hacked and nude photos leaked to the public is threatening Google with a $100 million lawsuit.
Marty Singer, a lawyer representing more than a dozen celebrities who had photos leaked from the August hacking, sent a letter to Google calling the search engine "despicable" and "reprehensible," according to the Hollywood Reporter. From the letter:
Google’s 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.
Singer claims that Google hasn't been removing the photos fast enough or responded to takedown demands, the report said. Google has been using the ensuing months to research fair use and the ownership of a sent photo or "selfie."
"If your wives, daughters or relatives were the victims of such blatant violations of basic human rights, surely you would take appropriate action," Singer wrote. "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 this scandal rather than quash it."
U.S. & World
So far Google has not responded to the open letter, but we will say that the fault of the hacked photos does not lie with Google but with Apple's iCloud. Perhaps Singer should save some of his vitriol for the Cupertino, Calif. company.
