George Clooney Hands Out Burner Phones To Protect Wedding Photos From Hackers And Leaks

George Clooney’s wedding to British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 36, in Venice may have been the most publicized event over the weekend, but don't go looking for photos on Instagram and Reddit. The couple's wedding policy forbade guests from bringing their own phones and tablets to the celebration.

In lieu of their own devices, Clooney, 53, provided guests with burner phones, or one-time use devices. The actor reportedly told guests that this was in response to the iCloud photo leaks that have hit the Web in recent weeks. Clooney was able to enforce this policy by turning the burner phone into a ticket for wedding ceremony and reception, according to TMZ. Guests were told to leave their devices in their hotels, or to surrender them at a kiosk near the reception entrance.

Though guests were provided cameras to take pictures during the wedding, the devices did come with a caveat. Clooney staffers reportedly had the ability to access photos taken with the cameras using a special code.

Exclusive rights to wedding photographs were sold to American Vogue, in exchange for a charity contribution, the Telegraph reported. The use of the burner phones and cameras effectively prevented guests from selling or leaking photos of Clooney’s wedding onto the Web, since the special code could be used to link guests to photos taken during the wedding.

The same treatment was extended to staffers at the Hotel Cipriani, who were given microchips for access to the hotel, according to the Telegraph.