Actress Emma Watson has responded to social media criticism of the celebrity victims of a nude photo hacking scandal, saying the reaction is worse than the violation of their privacy.

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The 24-year-old, who is friends with actresses at the centre of the scandal like Jennifer Lawrence, condemned the public’s reaction on Twitter.

Even worse than seeing women’s privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy.

— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) September 1, 2014

Many Twitter users have been scathing of the women, saying they shouldn’t have taken the photos in the first place if they didn’t want them leaked.

tip on how to prevent your nude photos getting leaked: don’t take nudes — alex (@alblen) September 1, 2014

I hate when celebrities say “omg my phone was hacked.” Just man up & take responsibility. U shouldn’t have nude pics on ur phone neways.

— lea (@lmbueno4) September 1, 2014

Why do celebrities take nudes and the whine about it when they get public? Just don’t take them in the first place!! DUH

— AlexTrik (@AlexTrikTV) September 1, 2014

Comedian Ricky Gervais was widely criticised for saying the celebrities were at fault for having the photos in a place where they could be hacked. He later deleted the tweet. 

In case you missed his hastily deleted tweet, here is Ricky Gervais blaming the violation of a woman’s body on her. pic.twitter.com/Uck6krEGVd — Emily Reynolds (@rey_z) September 1, 2014

Actress and creator of Girls Lena Dunham said blaming the victims was like the argument that women ask to be violated because they were ‘wearing a short skirt’.

The “don’t take naked pics if you don’t want them online” argument is the “she was wearing a short skirt” of the web. Ugh. — Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 1, 2014

Actress Jennifer Lawrence’s spokesperson said that anyone who republished the explicit photos of her would be sued.