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Woman sues repair shop after naked pics are stolen off hard drive and posted online

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By Steven Raeburn, N/A

August 22, 2013 | 2 min read

An Alabama woman is taking legal action against a computer repair shop, alleging that the staff raided her hard drive and posted nude photos of her online whilst it was in for repair.

Nicole March

Nicole March, an art student at the University of Alabama, raised the action on August 9th.

The action alleges that the pictures were posted with her name and face visible, permitting identification.

Attorney and privacy advocate Sarah Downey said: “But just because they’re a mainstay doesn’t mean GeekSquad had the right to rifle through your computer when you entrust it to them for a repair and then seek to personally humiliate you. It reeks of revenge porn,” she said.

“Plus it violates their service agreement, and breach of contract is one of the counts Ms. March brought.”

Downey also argued that the repair shop, Best Buy, could be found to be negligent in supervising or training its employees, which is included as a component of the claim.

“Although it seems absurd that Best Buy could foresee or be responsible for the idiotic, malicious things that its 180,000 employees decide to do, respondeat superior may apply here,” she said.

Paula Baldwin of Best Buy corporate public relations said that as a matter of policy, Best Buy does not comment on pending litigation.

The action claims invasion of privacy; outrageous conduct; breach of contract; negligent supervision, training, and entrustment; and negligence and wantoness.

"In this day in society we've got to do everything we can to protect privacy and that's the purpose of this suit," said Steve Heninger, the attorney who is representing March.

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