Laws of Media

Privacy Law

Privacy law refers to the laws which deal with the regulation of personal information about individuals which can be collected by governments and other public as well as private organizations and its storage and use.

 

The Phone Hacking Scandle

Hacking into messages on mobile phones is covered by the same law which now regulates phone tapping and other forms of covert information-gathering, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, known as RIPA.
This makes it a criminal offence to intercept phone calls unless it is done by a member of the police or intelligence agencies acting with a secretary of state's warrant, which can be granted only to protect national security, to prevent serious crime or to safeguard the economic wellbeing of the UK. It also makes it an offence to gain access to material which is stored on a communication system, such as a voice message, without a search warrant or a "production order", either of which has to be approved by a judge.