Photo Hacking Scandal Addressed By Reddit: ‘Every Man Responsible For His Own Soul’

The photo hacking scandal that targeted celebrities, such as Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence, has caused the company behind Reddit to respond.

As many of you who followed the story are aware, Reddit was one of the primary sources of distribution for these illegally obtained pics that included Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence nude photos.

In a recent blog post, Reddit came down on the perpetrators of those leaks, but also noted that they will not be taking any action to change the way they allow the posting of content because “every man is responsible for his own soul.”

In the statement, Reddit said that the reason it wouldn’t be taking any action “is because we consider ourselves not just a company running a website where one can post links and discuss them, but the government of a new type of community. The role and responsibility of a government differs from that of a private corporation, in that it exercises restraint in the usage of its powers.”

While the company believes that users should behave in a certain way, they expressed that it is not their job to compel such behaviors.

“We uphold the ideal of free speech on reddit as much as possible not because we are legally bound to,” the author of the post wrote, “but because we believe that you — the user — has the right to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, and that it is your responsibility to do so. When you know something is right, you should choose to do it. But as much as possible, we will not force you to do it.”

Reddit contended that “you,” the reader, chooses what to post and what to read and that the company “will try not to interfere,” not because they don’t care but because they care that the reader makes the appropriate choices.

“Virtuous behavior is only virtuous if it is not arrived at by compulsion,” the post concluded. “This is a central idea of the community we are trying to create.”

In related news, Apple is said to be beefing up its security protocols following the photo hacking scandal, CNN notes.

The company plans to make better use of email and push notifications to alert users of any account changes or restorations. Apple also plans to “widen its use of two-step authentication,” the site stated.

Do you think Reddit is right to do nothing over the photo hacking scandal?

[Image via Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com]