Under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998 we are offered “protection for a person’s private and family life, home and correspondence from arbitrary interference by the State,” whereby our privacy can only be breached if a number of conditions are satisfied. The key point though is that it only applies to the State; invasion of privacy by another person or company is not a breach of our human rights. As newspapers and tabloids are privately owned they are not in breach of the human rights act if they invade someone’s privacy to get a story.
However Article 8 does make it clear that phone tapping, trespassing, breach of confidence and similar activities are illegal, so if a journalist is found to have used one of those methods then they should expect suitable repercussions. Courts and judges have to act in accordance with Article 8 so while there is not yet any law governing privacy, precedents are constantly being set concerning slanderous and libel actions for people who believe their privacy has been breached. I imagine a common consensus would be that although there are no privacy laws protecting public figures from media invasion, there is something morally reprehensible about it.
