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Emma Watson targeted by hackers

London — Actress Emma Watson is being targeted by hackers who are threatening to publish nude photos of her in retaliation for her speech in which she announced that she was a feminist.

Emma Watson. Photo: Reuters

Emma Watson. Photo: Reuters

London — Actress Emma Watson is being targeted by hackers who are threatening to publish nude photos of her in retaliation for her speech in which she announced that she was a feminist.

Although the countdown does not specifically say that naked pictures will be published, the site is believed to have been made by members of the internet forum 4chan, who were behind the recent release of hacked pictures of celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.

US website Gawker quoted posts, since deleted, that appear to show the timing of the release is no accident and that the publication of pictures would be a direct response to her speech. One of the comments quoted said: “She makes stupid feminist speeches at UN, and now her nudes will be online.”

An image of Emma Watson wiping away a tear appears on the site beside a digital timer that is counting down the seconds until the release. The words “Never forget, the biggest to come thus far” are written in capital letters on the bottom of the screen.

In her first major speech, made at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Watson disclosed she became a feminist after being told she was too “bossy” for wanting to direct a play at the age of eight. Watson, who was appointed the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July, launched the HeForShe campaign, to call on men to speak up for oppressed women everywhere. HeForShe is described as a “solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other of humanity, for the entirety of humanity”.

In her speech, she said: “I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word.”

She added: “I was appointed six months ago and the more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realised that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating ... this has to stop.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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