Over time, both well-known figures and average individuals have become victims of blackmail stemming from notoriety associated with leaked nude photos or videos.
However, while the act of sharing people’s personal content is dreadful and inexcusable, it is crucial for people to recognize the fragility of digital security. The digital space is vulnerable for many reasons, such as cyber-attacks like hacking and phishing, which exploit weaknesses in systems and human behavior.
Additionally, human error, such as using weak passwords, reflexive posting, or accidentally sharing, further contributes to the risks.
The story about Esther Raphael’s video, the popular TikTok star whose nude video is alleged to have been leaked online by her boyfriend is one that has brought to the fore once again the issue of privacy and trust in relationships. Some are blaming the young girl for being naive in trusting ‘just a boyfriend’ to the extent of sharing nudes with him. Others feel the boyfriend is evil and should be made to pay for what he has done.
Due to the advancement of modern technology, the internet promises no privacy. Therefore, intimacy should remain intimate and your body should remain personal. According to Joseph Turrow, a Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, the “technology of hacking is continuously evolving.”
With the rapid advancement of technologies such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), new vulnerabilities have emerged, making our electronic devices more susceptible than ever.
Setting that aside, third-party or insider threats, whether intentional or accidental, can compromise the security of our content from within. Therefore, it is crucial to strike a balance between personal expression and the use of digital space to project those expressions. Sexual relations are among the most intimate activities known to mankind and they should remain just that: intimate. In other words, refrain from recording them with your camera for any reason, and trust no one to do so!
In traditional African homes of the past, engaging in sexual relations with strangers or random individuals was highly frowned upon, thus protecting many from the humiliation of shame. It is safe to say that strangers, unmarried sexual partners, or random individuals pose a greater threat when it comes to taking personal photos or videos of partners without their knowledge.
Reversing the impact of leaked nude photos or videos is very difficult. A momentary accidental share can still be captured by netizens. Therefore, refraining from filming yourself in the nude and avoiding illicit sexual relations with individuals whose integrity you are uncertain of will protect you more effectively than attempting to reverse the impact of leaked personal content.
