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EU’s new digital commissioner calls celebrities in nude picture leak ‘stupid’ EU’s new digital commissioner calls celebrities in nude picture leak ‘stupid’
(34 minutes later)
Former EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger, 61, is used to accusations that he is more digitally naïve than digitally native by now. But at a hearing in front of the European parliament, the EU’s next commissioner designate for digital economy and society raised some serious questions about his suitability.Former EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger, 61, is used to accusations that he is more digitally naïve than digitally native by now. But at a hearing in front of the European parliament, the EU’s next commissioner designate for digital economy and society raised some serious questions about his suitability.
During a three-hour grilling by MEPs in Brussels, Oettinger said it would not be his job to protect stars “stupid enough to take a nude photo of themselves and put it online” – seemingly unaware that the recent leak of celebrities’ nude photographs had come about as a result of a targeted hacking attack.During a three-hour grilling by MEPs in Brussels, Oettinger said it would not be his job to protect stars “stupid enough to take a nude photo of themselves and put it online” – seemingly unaware that the recent leak of celebrities’ nude photographs had come about as a result of a targeted hacking attack.
Oettinger said: “We can mitigate or even eliminate some risks. But like with any technology, you can’t exclude all risks.Oettinger said: “We can mitigate or even eliminate some risks. But like with any technology, you can’t exclude all risks.
“If someone is stupid enough as a celebrity to take a nude photo of themselves and put it online, they surely can’t expect us to protect them. Stupidity is something you can only partly save people from.”“If someone is stupid enough as a celebrity to take a nude photo of themselves and put it online, they surely can’t expect us to protect them. Stupidity is something you can only partly save people from.”
Oettinger seemed to refer to the recent leak of nude photographs showing celebrities including actress Jennifer Lawrence and singer Rihanna, which took place after hackers targeted their victims’ iClouds. Most modern smartphones automatically store backups of photographs online, often without their users’ knowledge.Oettinger seemed to refer to the recent leak of nude photographs showing celebrities including actress Jennifer Lawrence and singer Rihanna, which took place after hackers targeted their victims’ iClouds. Most modern smartphones automatically store backups of photographs online, often without their users’ knowledge.
Oettinger’s comments sparked criticism from a number of MEPs and the German press. “He revealed that he still hasn’t understood the real problem behind these leaked pictures,” Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht told the Guardian. “Serious questions need to be asked about the security of cloud systems currently on use, and asking those questions is very much part of the job remit of the next EU commissioner for digital society.” Oettinger’s comments sparked criticism from a number of MEPs and the German press. “He revealed that he still hasn’t understood the real problem behind these leaked pictures,” Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht told the Guardian. “Serious questions need to be asked about the security of cloud systems currently in use, and asking those questions is very much part of the job remit of the next EU commissioner for digital society.”
Pirate party MEP Julia Reda wrote on her blog: “If you manage to look beyond the tabloid celebrity/sex angle, the statement is unbelievable: the person applying to be in charge of shoring up trust in the internet so that Europeans do more business online just victim-blamed people whose personal data was accessed and spread without authorisation.”Pirate party MEP Julia Reda wrote on her blog: “If you manage to look beyond the tabloid celebrity/sex angle, the statement is unbelievable: the person applying to be in charge of shoring up trust in the internet so that Europeans do more business online just victim-blamed people whose personal data was accessed and spread without authorisation.”
Spiegel Online, meanwhile, gave a damning verdict on the only German in commission president Jean-Claude Juncker’s new team: Oettinger, it said, had shown that he had “no clue about current events and issues at the core of his new resort”.Spiegel Online, meanwhile, gave a damning verdict on the only German in commission president Jean-Claude Juncker’s new team: Oettinger, it said, had shown that he had “no clue about current events and issues at the core of his new resort”.
Asked by the Guardian on Tuesday morning if he still stood by his comments, Oettinger’s office released the following statement: “Everyone has the right to privacy. The European commission called for a European cloud strategy in 2012 and continues to campaign for safe cloud computing.”
During the hearing, Oettinger also spoke passionately of his commitment to creating a digital single market in the EU and building up European competitors to US giants such as Google and Amazon – a field, his supporters say, in which he has plenty of credibility: during his time as the prime minister of Baden-Württemberg from 2005 to 2010, local company SAP rose to become one of the biggest suppliers of enterprise resource planning software in the world.During the hearing, Oettinger also spoke passionately of his commitment to creating a digital single market in the EU and building up European competitors to US giants such as Google and Amazon – a field, his supporters say, in which he has plenty of credibility: during his time as the prime minister of Baden-Württemberg from 2005 to 2010, local company SAP rose to become one of the biggest suppliers of enterprise resource planning software in the world.
He highlighted his role in blocking a deal between Google and the EU during the anti-trust investigation into the US search engine’s near-monopoly on the European market: “Without my energetic protests and my persistent questions the case against Google would have been closed in February or March.”He highlighted his role in blocking a deal between Google and the EU during the anti-trust investigation into the US search engine’s near-monopoly on the European market: “Without my energetic protests and my persistent questions the case against Google would have been closed in February or March.”
Yet a number of delegates bemoaned that Oettinger’s comments on nude celebrity selfies betrayed a wider lack of interest in issues around data security. “Oettinger’s view that the victims of cyber crime have only themselves to blame is reminiscent of a number of comments we have heard from elderly male politicians recently‚“ said Albrecht, likening their stance to politicians who told the people after the invention of the automobile: “If you’re scared of cars, you shouldn’t go out on the road.”Yet a number of delegates bemoaned that Oettinger’s comments on nude celebrity selfies betrayed a wider lack of interest in issues around data security. “Oettinger’s view that the victims of cyber crime have only themselves to blame is reminiscent of a number of comments we have heard from elderly male politicians recently‚“ said Albrecht, likening their stance to politicians who told the people after the invention of the automobile: “If you’re scared of cars, you shouldn’t go out on the road.”
Oettinger is expected to be confirmed in his role on Tuesday afternoon, despite the criticisms.Oettinger is expected to be confirmed in his role on Tuesday afternoon, despite the criticisms.