Obama condemns Sony’s decision to drop film, says US must pass cyber bill

Barack Obama said today that Sony Pictures Entertainment should have touched base with the White House before cancelling the release of their controversial movie

RT reports: Weighing in on the major Sony scandal only hours after federal investigators attributed the recent hack to North Korea, Pres. Obama said the Hollywood studio was wrong to pull “The Interview,” a satirical film containing a plot to kill North Korean Pres. Kim Jong Un that was scheduled to be released on Christmas Day.

At the same time, though, Obama said the attack should serve as a wake-up call to Congress and prompt lawmakers in Washington, DC to get serious about implementing cybersecurity legislation in the wake of what is only the latest hack to be endured by a major American company.

“Sony is a corporation, it suffered significant damage [and] there were threats against its employees,” Obama said during an end-of-year press conference at the White House. “I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced. Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake.”

“I wish they would’ve spoken with me first. I would have told them: do not get into a pattern in which you’re intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks,” he said.

After hackers infiltrated Sony’s network last month and then released pilfered data, threats were made against movie theaters that planned to show “The Interview” starting next week. On Thursday, Sony said the film would not be released.

Earlier Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it’s concluded that the Kim Jong Un regime was responsible for the attack.

Sony Pictures Entertainment should have touched base with the White House before deciding to cancel the release of a controversial movie, United States President Barack Obama said Friday.

Weighing in on the major Sony scandal only hours after federal investigators attributed the recent hack to North Korea, Pres. Obama said the Hollywood studio was wrong to pull “The Interview,” a satirical film containing a plot to kill North Korean Pres. Kim Jong Un that was scheduled to be released on Christmas Day.

At the same time, though, Obama said the attack should serve as a wake-up call to Congress and prompt lawmakers in Washington, DC to get serious about implementing cybersecurity legislation in the wake of what is only the latest hack to be endured by a major American company.