Apple has confirmed that it is in the process of investigating if iCloud security breaches were responsible for the release of hundreds of private celebrity photos and videos over the weekend. Celebrities who had personal photos and videos leaked included model Kate Upton, and actresses Jennifer Lawrence, and Kirsten Dunst.
“We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” Apple representative Natalie Kerris told Re/code. The company has not made any further public comment.
While rumors of an iCloud security breach began floating around the web almost as soon as the photos first hit the web on Sunday, there has been no solid evidence to back up the claims. While the original poster of the images claimed the images had been collected from Apple’s online storage service, the OP later admitted to having gathered some of the photos from other locations.
Many of the “selfies” in the celebrity photo leaks were reportedly taken with Android or BlackBerry devices, further casting doubt on an iCloud breach being completely responsible for the leaks.
There were reports of a flaw in Apple’s “Find My iPhone” service that could allow brute force methods of obtaining login passwords when a login email address was known. Apple is reported to have quickly patched that security hole, and it is unclear if it played any part in the leaks.
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