to think that if I shared an explicit picture of myself with a stranger and then they used that to blackmail to release client information, I would be sacked?

[cakeorwine]

I guess people know what we are talking about.

William Wragg: Jeremy Hunt praises MP's apology over dating app incident - BBC News

If you send an explicit picture of yourself to a stranger, you are asking for danger.

If I did that and I was blackmailed into releasing personal information on other people, I would be sacked,

But hey, it's an accident. Nothing to see here.

And as for MPs who then were contacted by a stranger and then sent their own explicit pictures, what is there to say?

Why do you keep jumping into my conversations with someone else and complaining about my responses to them being irrelevant to my conversation with you? The person I was having the conversation with was explicitly talking about moral values.

You can tell who I'm addressing here by the fact that I've quoted them. You do understand that concept?

You still don't seem to understand the basic idea:

If you would be concerned about an intimate picture of yourself being released, then don't send an intimate picture of yourself.

I would have thought that was Sexting101 in any class at school.

The Common Sense Group - is there such a thing?? Absolutely no self awareness. Why the hell would you do such a thing as a public figure and not only that, random colleagues who don't even know him well are now receiving spurious text contact. Serious breach of security. Why the hell was Jeremy Hunt describing him as brave? Think about where you work and what would happen if you did this to your colleagues. Pretty sure they would not use the word brave to describe you.

Pretty certain that's covered in schools and online as well.

People need to take some personal responsibility - and it's so ironic that he is a member of the Common Sense Group

Maybe the Minister for Common Sense should have a word with him?

What will Esther McVey bring to cabinet as the ‘commonsense tsar’? | Esther McVey | The Guardian

Yes, I do understand the concept.

It doesn't seem to stop huge numbers of people sharing intimate pictures of themselves though, does it? Given the huge volume of pictures being shared, it seems Wragg was unlucky to be targeted by a criminal.

That's beside the point

It was a risk - and he should have been aware of the consequences - especially if he was at all concerned about it being leaked.

In any other profession, he would have faced consequences for leaking information on colleagues.

I know I would have faced action
I bet you would have faced action if you released personal information about colleagues or pupils.

Charlie says 'don't send dick pictures' 🙄 😂

It could work, poor silly men.

This is the problem when men think with their dicks and not their brains.

You have to wonder how many other MPs are sharing intimate pictures of themselves on various dating apps?

How many others are now thinking "Shit"

I don't think anyone has argued that him leaking information was ok?

This is the problem when men think with their dicks and not their brains.

Do you think it's only men who send explicit images?

I think having a ONS as an MP would be highly irresponsible too. We're in an era where they are talking about needing bodyguards for a start. Or things could be planted on you. Or photos could be taken. I think as an MP you should be extremely careful about interactions with people you don't know.

But in an atmosphere where MPs are chosen because of the dirt that is held on them so that whips can use it to keep them in line (you can't control the squeaky clean), it is not surprising they are vulnerable to blackmail by others as well.

noblegiraffe · Yesterday 20:33
BIossomtoes · Yesterday 20:31

Ah to have the perfect ability to spot scammers and fraudsters.

Surely if you were an MP you’d just assume everyone was? Actually you don’t even need to be an MP to do that.

So MPs should remain celibate”

It’s quite possible to have a satisfying sex live without sending randoms photos of your tackle.

The man has been monumentally stupid and shockingly lax with others’ security.

I think having a ONS as an MP would be highly irresponsible too

We're going to get to the point where any single MP would be judged for having any sex life at all...

People who work at government level and have SC/DV would be stripped of their clearance and sacked. He’s a risk to national security. Why should he be exempt from vetting and similar because he was elected. The minions who work for the government go through months of clearance to check they aren’t as stupid as this. It’s common sense and they should know better. If they aren’t aware of honeypot style targeting then the security service needs to do some more training or something.

And what consequences do you think he should face for that?

In other professions, he would face consequences.

Exactly

Honeypot is a very old way of entrapment.

MPs and other people need to wary of it - and you would hope they get training.

He will be used as a case study.

And yes, I can see some enterprising individual doing a "Charlie says" video - the storyboard writes itself.

Agreed.

Should he face consequences, yes, but he's a Tory MP isn't he? How can they apply disciplinary proceedings when he has colleagues who have done far worse and got away with it?

Gavin Williamson got kicked out of cabinet for leaking National Security Council discussions to the press, which is objectively worse than giving out some phone numbers, but then was made Education Secretary.

Rishi himself broke the law while in office and was fined for it.....he was made Prime Minister.

And let's not get started on the cess pit that's Boris. He got away with giving a place in the House of Lords to a dodgy Russian.

As someone who has been filmed covertly I am fucking incensed that anyone would equate that to taking photos of yourself and voluntarily sending them to someone else

one is a criminal act and the other is a free fucking choice

the consequences and devastation is not comparable

and fyi a lot of us, even when recorded outside of our knowledge, never mind choice, do go to the police like that’s fucking worth it

even when the shock and betrayal was killing me I still did the right thing

an MP who freely chooses to send explicit photos needs both the wit to know a problem may occur and the <photographed> big balls to own it if said blackmail problem does occur

NONE of this scenario is in anyway comparable to someone being recorded without their knowledge and it is bloody disgusting to suggest it does

As someone who has been filmed covertly I am fucking incensed that anyone would equate that to taking photos of yourself and voluntarily sending them to someone else

one is a criminal act and the other is a free fucking choice

You appear to have misunderstood. Blackmailing someone by threatening to release their nude photos which they sent voluntarily is a criminal act.

That's where the comparison lies.

Having sex with someone is not a criminal act, it is also a free choice. Covertly filming it is illegal.

And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry that happened to you. It's a despicable breach of trust.

All corrupt, backing their mates.

The difference here is that I’m not sure his colleagues’ phone numbers would necessarily be classed as protected data - I am assuming here that his colleagues gave him their phone numbers willingly, and that he didn’t have to access Tory central office personnel files (or whatever they use) to obtain them - obviously if he did, that changes things significantly and he should be sacked.

”Can you give me your mate’s number?” is very different to “can you log into a work system and give me a list of strangers’ bank details?” Lots of people have had their numbers passed on to random men/stalker exes by “friends”, and it’s not usually actionable.

I’m not defending his actions at all, but I suspect the Tory party know there isn’t a legal/HR case to answer here, and are making the best of it. By supporting him, it makes it much harder for the blackmailer to release material on other people as they know the Tory party and press will support the victims. No newspaper is going to print Michael Gove’s dick pics (or whoever) after this little performance, as it would be clear they had obtained them from a blackmailer.

It raises the question - why would someone just want personal phone numbers?