Female stars threaten to sue Google for not removing stolen nude photos

A lawyer representing female celebrities whose nude photos were posted online by hackers has threatened to sue Google for failing to take the photos off its websites, according to the New York Post.

Martin Singer, an entertainment industry lawyer, said in a letter on Wednesday that Google "is making millions and profiting from the victimisation of women" and could be liable for over US$100 million in damages, the newspaper reported.

Google "knows that the images are hacked stolen property, private and confidential photos and videos unlawfully obtained and posted by pervert predators who are violating the victims' privacy rights and basic human decency", Singer said, according to the Post. He could not be reached to confirm the letter.

Singer said he sent Google multiple notices of violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which requires internet service providers to remove copyrighted material upon request, according to the report.

"We've removed tens of thousands of pictures within hours of the requests being made, and we have closed hundreds of accounts," Google said in a statement.

Celebrities including actress Jennifer Lawrence had private and revealing pictures stolen from their Apple iCloud accounts and posted on websites including 4chan and Reddit early last month.