Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; January 30, 2019)

After Amy Jackson and Akshara Haasan, Hansika Motwani is the latest actress whose private data has been leaked online by hackers. For the last few days, social media has been abuzz with ‘leaked’ selfies of Hansika clad in lingerie, and stills of her posing on a yatch wearing a bikini. Some of these pictures were shared online from Hansika’s personal microblog. The actress took to Twitter to clarify that her mobile phone and her Twitter account has been hacked. “Phone n Twitter hacked please don’t respond to any random messages. My back end team is working on getting things in control,” she posted. Even as a group of experts are working to restore her Twitter account and taking down her leaked pictures from social media, Hansika spoke to us about her ordeal and why the response by online trolls has come as a brutal shock. Excerpts:

When did you discover that your Twitter account and phone were hacked?
I noticed that something was wrong with my phone ever since I went to the United States a few weeks ago. But it came as a huge shock to me when I realised that my private information and pictures have been leaked into the public domain. These pictures were taken four years ago and some of them have been smartly morphed by the hackers. I soon figured that my Twitter account has also been hacked and alerted my technical team to deal with it.

A lot of trolls have slut-shamed you on social media after these pictures were leaked. What was it like to deal with the backlash?
It was extremely disheartening. To deal with the embarrassment of your private pictures being leaked (some of them morphed) into the public domain is bad enough, and then to see such comments was really hurtful. Certain people had the gall to say that since I anyway did bikini shoots in the past, what’s the big deal if such pictures are leaked? Well, it is a big deal. Firstly, some of the pictures are morphed, which means they are not exactly my pictures. And secondly, when I do a bikini shoot for a film or a magazine shoot, I’m doing it out of my own choice. Here, it is being circulated without my consent, so there’s a big difference between the two. What has happened here is a clear violation of my privacy. This is the price I have to pay for being a public figure I suppose. Fortunately, there has also been a wave of support for me from various quarters. My fans and well wishers started the #IStandByHansika to support me and it definitely helped to know that some people stood by me.

What do you have to say to your detractors who believe that this is all just a publicity stunt?
I don’t need to seek attention from anybody. Right through my career, I’ve kept a low profile and that reflects in how I conduct myself on social media as well. That’s just who I am as a person. So if someone sitting in the corner of their room wants to say that I’m doing this for attention, I don’t think that such people even deserve a response. I just feel sorry for them.

Are you planning to take legal action?
As of now, a team of 20 technicians are working to ensure my phone and account is stable and they are trying to find out who did this. As far as the hackers are concerned, I’m sure God will punish them for their deeds.
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Steps you need to take to prevent your account from getting hacked

- Don’t click on links sent to you by unknown, suspicious accounts Do not have your birthday or name or pet’s name as your password, ensure your password is difficult to crack

- Do not share personal details regarding education, address, etc on public profiles

- Don’t accept ‘friend requests’ from strangers

- Delete suspicious mails from your account immediately

- Delete all unwanted Apps from your mobile phone. Some Apps have an algorithm running in the background and can wipe out your data

- Make sure you read privacy settings carefully and follow them