Hacker invades privacy of Tasmanian blogger

A popular young Tasmanian woman was forced to quit her video blog because of grave personal safety concerns after her computer was hacked.

Up to 300,000 regularly viewed the video blog of Emmalina an 18 year old ‘star’ of YouTube.

Although she operated under a pseudonym, another determined follower had uncovered her personal details and circulated them online. She received death threats, rape threats and had all her personal details stolen.

Journalist Kathleen Parker writes about the dangers of instant cyber, while Max Markson, managing director of celebrity agency, Markson Sparks, warned that the openness of the internet represented a double edged sword for those seeking notoriety.

"If you put yourself out there on YouTube or MySpace you are moving into open area and giving your privacy away. If all of a sudden fame comes upon you, all the negatives as well as the positives come with it," he said.