Much comment about yesterdays events following the jailing of News of the World journalist Roy Goodman for illegally tapping into the mobile phones of the royals.
The resignation of his editor Andy Coulson may simply be an editor taking ultimate reponsibility for the actions of his sibling.It may however also be an indication that Coulson was aware of this practice and that in a effort to be the first to stories,the News of the World is willing to turn a blind eye to these practices.
Roy Greenslade this morning says that we still need answers from the paper and he is on doubt that these practices are ripe at the paper.
I have pointed out for years that the NoW has been prepared to work too often on the dark side of the moon, with the fake sheikh's penchant for subterfuge and stings as one example. Then there is the wholly trivial, near-the-knuckle kiss-and-tell stuff that has redefined the word "sordid".
The Press Gazette is reporting the comments of Info Commissioner Richard Thomas
Info chief calls for crackdown on "blaggers" after Goodman sentence
Today's sentence sends a very clear signal that breaches of individuals' privacy will be taken seriously by the courts.
"The relevant legislation that deals with intercepting telephone calls without consent – the offence for which Clive Goodman has been convicted – is the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, not the Data Protection Act.
"The current very low penalties under the Data Protection Act for 'blagging' offences which do not involve telecoms interception are not a sufficient deterrent to stop the widespread illegal trade in personal information. Tougher sanctions are required to deter those who obtain financial, health, criminal and similar records through impersonation and similar means. I repeat my call for a maximum two year prison sentence for people who commit the existing crime under the Data Protection Act of unlawfully obtaining or selling people's personal information.
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