Overview of news media phone hacking scandals

Phone hacking by news organizations became the subject of scandals that raised concerns about illegal acquisition of confidential information by news media organizations in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia between 1995 and 2012. The scandal had been simmering since 2002 but broke wide open in July 2011 with the disclosure that a murdered teenage girl's mobile phone had been hacked by a newspaper looking for a story. The scandals involved multiple organizations, and include the News of the World royal phone hacking scandal, the News International phone hacking scandal, the 2011 News Corporation scandals, and the Metropolitan Police role in the News International phone hacking scandal.

By 2002, the practice of publications using private investigators to acquire confidential information was widespread in the United Kingdom,[1] with some individuals using illegal methods.[2][3] Information was allegedly acquired by accessing private voicemail accounts, hacking into computers, making false statements to officials to obtain confidential information, entrapment,[4][5] blackmail,[6] burglaries,[7] theft of mobile phones[8] and making payments to officials in exchange for confidential information. The kind of information acquired illegally included private communication, physical location of individuals, bank account records, medical records, phone bills, tax files, and organisational strategies.[9]

Individuals involved in the scandal included victims, perpetrators, investigators, solicitors, and responsible oversight officials. Victims of these illegal methods included celebrities,[10][11][12] politicians,[13] law enforcement officials,[13] solicitors,[13] and ordinary citizens.[14] As this illegal activity became apparent, arrests were made[15][16] and some convictions achieved.[15][17] Upon learning their privacy had been violated, some victims retained solicitors and filed suit against news media companies and their agents,[18] in some cases receiving substantial financial payments for violation of privacy.[19] Successful suits and publicity from investigative news articles[20] led to further disclosures, including the names of more victims,[14] more documentary evidence of wrongdoing,[21] admissions of wrongdoing,[22] and related payments.[23] Allegations were made of poor judgement[24] evidence destruction, and coverup[25] by news media executives[26][27] and law enforcement officials.[28] As a result, new investigations were initiated including some in the US and Australia,[29] and several senior executives and police officials resigned.[30][31] There were also significant commercial consequences of the scandal.[32][33]

There was evidence that illegal acquisition of confidential information continued at least into 2010.[34] Solicitors representing victims were targeted for surveillance by a news media organisation being sued as recently as 2011.[35] Illegal payments by news media agents to public officials continued into 2012.[36]

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  2. ^ McLagan, Graeme (21 September 2011). "Fraudster squad- Graeme McLagan on the black economy run by corrupt police and private detectives". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  3. ^ McLagan, Graeme (21 September 2011). "Journalists caught on tape in police bugging". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  4. ^ Lyall, Sarah (29 November 2011). "British Inquiry Is Told Hacking Is Worthy Tool". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Undercover at the News of the World". BBC Channel 4. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  6. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (3 August 2012). "Kieren Fallon says he felt suicidal over News of the World sting". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  7. ^ Davies, Nick (9 June 2011). "The NoW's merchant of secrets". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  8. ^ Somaiya, Ravi (23 July 2012). "Murdoch Inquiry Extends to Cellphone Theft". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  9. ^ Davies, Nick (9 June 2011). "The NoW's merchant of secrets". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  10. ^ Hill, Amelia & James Robinson (13 May 2011). "Phone hacking: Sienna Miller accepts £100,000 from News of the World". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  11. ^ Rainey, Sarah & Andrew Blenkinsop (13 July 2011). "Phone hacking: who's who in the News International scandal". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  12. ^ Robinson, James & Lisa O'Carroll (23 September 2011). "Met to be asked to investigate Jade Goody phone-hacking claims". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  13. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference GuardianRees20110608a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GuardianDowler20110704 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GuardianGuilty20050416 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianGoodman20110809 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianGoodman20061120 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ James, Robinson (8 April 2011). "Phone hacking: NI to apologise to victims including Sienna Miller". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  19. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (19 August 2011). "Glenn Mulcaire ordered to reveal who told him to hack phones". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianRusbridger20110717 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Laville, Sandra & Vikram Dodd (7 July 2011). "Phone hacking: the hunt for corrupt officers and 4,000 possible victims". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference IndependentWidespread20110718 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference HarneysMulcaire20110818 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Jones, Sam & Matthew Taylor (18 July 2011). "John Yates: 'pretty crap' decision ends 30 years at Met". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  25. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (13 March 2012). "Phone-hacking: how the 'rogue reporter' defence slowly crumbled". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  26. ^ Davies, Nick (16 August 2011). "Phone hacking: News of the World reporter's letter reveals cover-up". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2011. [Goodman] admitted intercepting the voicemail of three members of the royal household.
  27. ^ Mendick, Robert & Jonathan Wynne-Jones (16 July 2011). "Phone hacking: New body blows for Rupert Murdoch". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  28. ^ Watt, Nicholas (6 July 2011). "Metropolitan police and hacking: 'Evasive, dishonest or lethargic?'". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  29. ^ Cite error: The named reference MetPoliceWeeting20110706 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianHinton20110715 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference guardianStephenson20110818 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference GuardianNotW20110807 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ Robinson, James (13 July 2011). "News Corp pulls out of BSkyB bid". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  34. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (10 September 2012). "Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh sues News International and the Sun". Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  35. ^ Davies, Nick (7 November 2011). "News of the World hired investigators to spy on hacking victims' lawyers". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  36. ^ Plunkett, John (23 July 2012). "Met's corrupt payments probe widens to include Mirror and Star titles". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2012.