SAG cheers age-outing suit against IMDb

HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The Screen Actors Guild says Huang Hoang's lawsuit against the Hollywood Web site IMDb is a blow against an abusive invasion of privacy and age discrimination.

Hoang has taken IMDb to court for posting her true age in their extensive database of working actors, which she alleges exposes her to an entrenched practice of age discrimination in the picture business.

"Thousands of actors have had their careers harmed by the unauthorized publication of their birthdates by IMDb against their wishes," SAG said Friday in a written statement. "The Screen Actors Guild and its members stand in support of efforts to curtail this invasion of privacy done to enhance a corporate balance sheet.

"Making a living as a middle-class, working actor is already extraordinarily difficult. IMDb's misguided insistence on publishing private personal information like birthdates makes it even harder," the statement said.

Hoang, 40, had filed suit as a Jane Doe; however, the Los Angeles judge said last month she could not proceed anonymously and would have to put her name on the case. Hoang's lawyer told The Hollywood Reporter the Texas actress was disappointed in having to reveal her identity but was ready to see the case to its conclusion.