In response to a potential lawsuit, Google has deleted thousands of photos of nude celebrities posted online.
A statement from the web giant said it has deleted photos “within hours” of requests being made and has “closed hundreds of accounts.”
It comes after reports Hollywood entertainment lawyer Marty Singer has threatened to sue Google for “violating privacy”.
In response, Google said, “Our turnaround is generally hours, not weeks.
“Of course people continue to post these images on the web, so – like other online services – we rely on people notifying us to help us take them down, whether by flagging content, or filing DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) requests.”
Google said, “We’re removing these photos for community guidelines and policy violations (eg nudity and privacy violation) on YouTube, Blogger and Google+.
“For search we have historically taken a different approach as we reflect what’s online – but we remove these images when we receive valid copyright (DMCA) notices.”