The fallout from Edward Snowden’s revelations about the National Security Agency has reached Hollywood after Oracle asked for its brand to be scrubbed from a new film about spies and espionage.
Oracle, the database software group, had originally paid to have its brand prominently featured in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, which stars Chris Pine and Keira Knightley – just one of the many product placement deals that have become increasingly lucrative for Hollywood.
But after Mr Snowden leaked details last year about the NSA’s mass surveillance of electronic data – including its ability to monitor Silicon Valley technology companies – Oracle got cold feet, said several people close to the situation. The request for its brand to be removed was made in the final stages of the film’s editing.