When hackers leaked the contents of Leslie Jones iCloud, including nude photos and scans of her passport and driver's license, their motives were clear.
The hack is more than just the gross violation of privacy that all people, especially women, have come to fear in the digital age. Jones has been repeatedly targeted for online harassment because she is a woman of color -- racist, sexist trolls hiding behind their screens see her success as a threat.
This summer's female reboot Ghostbusters was a particularly sore spot for sexist trolls, who did their best to make Jones' life hell all summer.
The film's director, Paul Feig, called out the hackers on Twitter today after the news broke.
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Eventually, the level of hateful tweets directed at Jones caused her to quit Twitter, but Jones came back after her fans stood by her. The incident caused Twitter to vow to do a better job at preventing harassment -- we'll see what change actually occurs. Twitter has made some strides, but the problem is nowhere near solved.
Jones returned to Twitter in full force, and her infectious exhilaration for the Olympics scored her an invite to the games. It was a perfect example of everything we miss out on when we're not vigilant about fighting hateful speech. Her tweets were a wildly entertaining expression of pure joy.
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Fellow entertainers and fans alike are tweeting in solidarity with Jones, pointing out the importance of recognizing the hackers' intentions.
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Jones has not tweeted since the leak took place -- her most recent tweet is a call for the best place in New York City to have a happy birthday.
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Don't ruin her birthday, jerks.
Topics Cybersecurity Racial Justice
