• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health

2

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady

3

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells 'blood in the water' and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say

1

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health

2

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady

3

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells 'blood in the water' and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
Tech40 Under 40

Man Gets 18 Months for Hacking Celebrities’ Google and Apple Accounts

Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 27, 2016, 10:08 AM ET
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 22:  Kate Upton attends the promotional event for "Game Of War - Fire Age" at G-Star 2014 Global Game Exhibition on November 22, 2014 in Busan, South Korea.  (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage,)
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 22: Kate Upton attends the promotional event for "Game Of War - Fire Age" at G-Star 2014 Global Game Exhibition on November 22, 2014 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage,)Photograph by Han Myung-Gu — WireImage/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

A judge sentenced a Pennsylvania man tied to the so-called “Celebgate” scandal—in which nude pictures of celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton were leaked to the Internet—to 18 months in federal prison on Wednesday.

Ryan Collins, 36, admitted earlier this year to deceiving approximately 100 entertainment industry figures into disclosing their log-in credentials for private Apple iCloud (AAPL) and Google Gmail (GOOGL) accounts. When the targets—most of whom are female celebrities—supplied the information, Collins was able to access their private photo galleries.

According to the Justice Department, C0llins “engaged in a sophisticated phishing scheme” between 2012 and September 2014, when the nude celebrity pictures began to circulate widely on the Internet. The 2014 incident was in the news again this month on the discovery that Ken Bone, the everyman icon from the Presidential debates, crassly boasted on Reddit about viewing Lawrence’s nude pictures.

Collins’ sentence came after he pled guilty to violating a federal statute that forbids obtaining information through unauthorized access to a protected computer. In some cases, the Justice Department said Collins used a software program to download the victims’ iCloud accounts.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“The defendant intruded into the online accounts of hundreds of victims and in doing so, intruded upon their lives, causing lasting distress,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The prison sentence received by Mr. Collins is proof that hacking into the accounts of others and stealing private information or images is a crime with serious consequences.”

The agency’s investigation did not, however, turn up any evidence that Collins was responsible for distributing the photos to websites like 4Chan, where they were circulated. Meanwhile, the Justice Department this summer charged a second man, 28-year-old Edward Majerczyk of Illinois, with charges similar to those laid against Collins.

Collins’ hacking efforts, which involved at least 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts, reinforce the need for consumers to be wary about disclosing their passwords—even when the request appears to come from a site like Google or Apple— and to deploy security measures like two-factor authentication.

About the Author
Jeff John Roberts
By Jeff John RobertsEditor, Finance and Crypto
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jeff John Roberts is the Finance and Crypto editor at Fortune, overseeing coverage of the blockchain and how technology is changing finance.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Sam Altman wearing a suit
SuccessWealth
Sam Altman reveals the investing advice billionaire Peter Thiel gave him that helped him amass a $3.3 billion net worth without OpenAI equity
By Preston ForeAugust 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
AITech
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezAugust 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Fortune Daily video show graphic showing host Ellie Austin
C-SuiteFortune Daily
Welcome to Fortune Daily
By Ellie AustinAugust 3, 2026
3 hours ago
congress
Commentaryregulation
Congress needs an AI framework now
By Caleb KnappAugust 3, 2026
3 hours ago
SoftBank, Hitachi, LG back Zenity’s $125 million round to police AI agents
AIcyber
SoftBank, Hitachi, LG back Zenity’s $125 million round to police AI agents
By Nicholas GordonAugust 3, 2026
4 hours ago
w
CybersecurityWealth
Someone broke into Liechtenstein’s secret wealth haven list overnight
By The Associated PressAugust 3, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
Economy
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
By Jason MaAugust 1, 2026
2 days ago
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells 'blood in the water' and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
Middle East
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells 'blood in the water' and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
By Jason MaAugust 2, 2026
23 hours ago
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
Commentary
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
By Caleb PetittAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
Success
Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers
By Preston ForeAugust 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.