While we all know that the internet is home to some very creepy people, a 4chan user decided to reinforce that reputation by leaking numerous explicit photos and videos of celebrities.

Unlike other times where naked celebrity pictures have been leaked, the majority of these are believed to be legitimate and not photoshopped. That simple fact makes this situation all the more serious.

You see, what this means is some guy put in a massive amount of effort to do this. He stalked phones, emails, any form of communication that these women used and discovered long-since deleted pictures.

This reveals a lot of things about today’s society.

First of all, it proves that nothing is ever deleted. Although it is true that the snapchat you sent last month where your hair was really frizzy probably won’t resurface, that’s just because you aren’t a giant figure to the public.

Since these celebrities are so popular, people actually care that much about finding their personal pictures. A bit of hard work, some impressive hacking skills and a primitive sex drive and this is what happens.

This also shows how much we separate celebrities from humanity. We can’t dare to imagine that McKayla Maroney has intimate episodes.We worship these people on the screens, but if they do something personal like this we think that they’re immoral.

It also becomes clear how disrespectful some people are. By dehumanizing these celebrities, people think that a naked photo is just eye candy. But in reality, that woman is a daughter, a friend, a sister, and above all else, a human being. One who has dignity and self-respect.

Of course, it isn’t wise to take these pictures in the first place. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t respect their rights. While the pictures are public the moment they hit send, they were intended for one person and one person only.

Imagine getting on the computer and finding that your naked photos, intended for your boyfriend or girlfriend, were trending on Twitter or were the front story on a celebrity website.

Imagine the shame you would feel that your friends are laughing at your embarrassment.

Above all, this just adds to the numerous offenses that internet users have committed against women. The men who post these pictures and view them feel entitled to seeing these actresses naked, feel like they deserve to look where only the “luckiest” have ever looked. But if you have to dig up pictures deleted from years ago that were never meant to go to you, maybe this isn’t something you should be seeing in the first place.

This behavior isn’t just demeaning towards celebrities; it is demeaning to women in general. It makes the point that your body, your privacy is a prize for a treasure hunt into the trash of the cyberworld. No matter who your pictures are intended for, we will find them if we want them.

Because, in the end, the men get to decide whose information that is. Your rights, your privacy, your self-respect do not matter.

So to everyone out there, watch out. Your privacy may not be as private as you think.