Media and Privacy

While activists on the web fight against the state peeping in their privacy, the affair of the British tabloid News Of the World set a different dimension of the problem. It became clear that the special investigative techniques are not a trade mark of the police and secret services only. The British edition with 168 years of history and selling almost three million copies, owned by Murdoch's media family was caught hacker tapping into voice messages. Targets were celebrities like Hugh Grant and Gwyneth Paltrow or families whose children had been kidnapped.

Andy Coulson, a former editor of the newspaper and director of communications for the Prime Minister David Cameron was arrested in connection with the affair. The police also detained Clive Goodman, who has already been in jail for telephone tapping and a private detective working for the newspaper. After strong protest campaign (and a boycott of the advertisers) the owners, represented by James Murdoch, decided to close The News Of the World whose last issue came out on Sunday. The revenues from the last day will be donated to charity.

Many questions remain unanswered even after the denouement. The main issue is the relationship between police and reporters, the sale of technical expertise and the brokering with information. The British society starts asking questions about the relations between politicians and the powerful media of Murdoch.

The scandal broke at a crucial moment and put at stake Murdoch's plans to buy the British satellite TV British Sky Broadcasting.

Read more on the BBC website.