Report: UK hacking scandal went well beyond media

Published June 24, 2013
A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture.  — Reuters Photo
A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture. — Reuters Photo

LONDON - The phone hacking scandal rocking Britain extends well beyond the media industry to include law firms, debt collectors and other companies, a newspaper said Saturday.

The scandal has already sent shockwaves across the UK with revelations that journalists routinely intercepted voicemails, bribed public officials, and hacked into computers in their search for scoops. The Independent, citing a leaked report from Britain's Serious and Organized Crime Agency and an unnamed person familiar with its content, said that many others were in on the shady practices - including businessmen, attorneys, and debt collectors.

An unclassified summary of the report was published five years ago, but the Independent provided new details about its content, including the allegation that celebrities, businessmen, and an unnamed "major telecommunications company" had hired corrupt private investigators specializing in such practices. The paper didn't give further details or post the report to its website.

The crime agency said it would not comment on the Independent's report.

British police investigating the phone hacking scandal have made scores of arrests, many of them outside the world of journalism.

Opinion

In defamation’s name

In defamation’s name

It provides yet more proof that the undergirding logic of public authority in Pakistan is legal and extra-legal coercion rather than legitimised consent.

Editorial

Mercury rising
Updated 27 May, 2024

Mercury rising

Each of the country's leaders is equally responsible for the deep pit Pakistan seems to have fallen into.
Antibiotic overuse
27 May, 2024

Antibiotic overuse

ANTIMICROBIAL resistance is an escalating crisis claiming some 700,000 lives annually in Pakistan. It is the third...
World Cup team
27 May, 2024

World Cup team

PAKISTAN waited until the very end to name their T20 World Cup squad. Even then, there was last-minute drama. Four...
ICJ rebuke
Updated 26 May, 2024

ICJ rebuke

The reason for Israel’s criminal behaviour is that it is protected by its powerful Western friends.
Hot spells
26 May, 2024

Hot spells

WITH Pakistan already dealing with a heatwave that has affected 26 districts since May 21, word from the climate...
Defiant stance
26 May, 2024

Defiant stance

AT a time when the country is in talks with the IMF for a medium-term loan crucial to bolstering the fragile ...