President Obama on Friday said Sony Pictures “made a mistake” in deciding to cancel the release of a comedic film in the face of threats from cyber hackers.
“I am sympathetic to the concerns that [Sony] faced,” Obama told reporters in his year-end press conference. “Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake.”
Earlier Friday, the FBI announced that the North Korea government was responsible for the hack on Sony, the highest-profile attack in the ongoing cyber warfare between Washington and Pyongyang.
Obama vowed a “proportional response” against North Korea but did not outline any specific actions his White House would take.
As for Sony, Obama argued that their actions to pull the release of the satirical film “The Interview” could lead to self-censorship.
“Imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary they don’t like or news reports they don’t like,” he said. “That’s not who we are.”
Sony decided to cancel the Christmas release of “The Interview,” a comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after the hackers threatened attacks on theaters showing the film.
