Read all about it: The secret dossier of lawbreaking that spells trouble for Murdoch & Cameron

[kpete]

Source: Independent UK

Read all about it: The secret dossier of lawbreaking that spells trouble for Rupert Murdoch...and David Cameron

Rebekah Brooks was among journalists who used a private detective who was later convicted

By Brian Brady and James Hanning

Sunday, 12 September 2010

The News of the World paid a private detective to provide hundreds of pieces of confidential information, often using illegal means, a confidential document obtained by The Independent on Sunday has revealed.

The "Blue Book", a ledger of work carried out by Steve Whittamore for News International titles, including the NoW and The Sunday Times, details a series of transactions including obtaining ex-directory phone numbers, telephone accounts, criminal records checks and withheld mobile numbers. It reveals the itemised details of checks on public figures, including Peter Mandelson, ordered and paid for – at up to £750 a time – by reporters working for the redtop. Staff from a number of other national newspapers made similar requests, and their details are contained in further dossiers held by the Information Commissioner, the privacy watchdog.

Among the journalists requesting information from Mr Whittamore, who was later convicted of offences committed under the Data Protection Act, was the former NoW editor Rebekah Wade, now Rebekah Brooks.

The contents of the dossier were collated by the Information Commissioner following a raid on Mr Whittamore's Hampshire office in 2003, but the watchdog has previously refused to disclose its contents, to protect the identities of the people named within it.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/read-all-about-it-the-secret-dossier-of-lawbreaking-that-spells-trouble-for-rupert-murdochand-david-cameron-2077170.html

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interesting:
News Corp. Is Freaking Out

You don’t get it," a member of News Corporation’s inner circle in London told me last night, about the phone hacking scandal. "If there was a conspiracy in the company, the conspiracy was to keep Rupert from knowing."

That is called the circle-the-wagons defense. That’s called everybody-else-is-expendable. That’s called a total freak-out
http://www.newser.com/off-the-grid/post/538/news-corp-is-freaking-out.html

more:
Daily Kos
Big UK Story Could Be Murdoch's 'Gate'
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/9/12/901252/-Big-UK-Story-Could-Be-Murdochs-Gate....Update

[SpiralHawk]

1. Fox 'news' owner Republicon Family Values

Ptoooey. Gutter values.

[azul]

2. The scandal sheets have taken over the news media,

and the sheet has finally hit the fan.

What is the Data Protection Act, and should the US be needing one also?

[SpiralHawk]

3. We need a propaganda (R) protection act

to protect decent American citizens from the 24/7 onslaught of Murdoch-Fox 'news' anti-democracy, fatcat fascist propaganda spew.

[DeSwiss]

4. Kpete....

...I won't allow your post to get my hopes all up in a tizzy with visions of Rupert wearing pinstripes pajamas while trying (and failing) to fend off the amorous advances of his cellmate.

- But I'll K&R it anyhoo.....

[Festivito]

5. Wiretapping for profits and conservatives to power then unfund the BBC.

The publicly funded BBC is the major competitor, and conservatives hate competition.

Scotland Yard drops the ball, but why? Do some there have secrets those overzealous press folks now know?

Repeatedly calling a personal voicemail of the two princes yields juicy information that goes into tabloids, that makes money and promotions for the hackers.

Then using the tabloids to push Conservative candidates into government office where the government can then lower funding for the competition, BBC news. All the while making tabloid scandal money from tapped voicemails.

In other words, a mess.

EDIT: Wrote BCC instead of BBC, Duh!

[Turborama]

6. K&R A lot more from the Guardian, too

News Of The World Hacking Row: British MP Calls For Murdoch Evidence
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4533810