As private investigators, we are well used to dealing with internet security issues, whether that be in terms of online fraud, blackmail, corporate intelligence leaks and so on. We carry out in-depth investigations into such matters on a regular basis. And increasingly, our prenuptial and matrimonial investigations also involve analysing and using social media.
Private Investigators and Celebrity
Celebrities, the rich and the famous, have always been targets for blackmail and fraud attempts, and provide regular fodder for the gossip columns. A couple of decades ago, it would only have been newspapers and television that would have reported on extra-marital liaisons. Nowadays the internet reports on them as soon as they have taken place.
So it came as no surprise to us as seasoned private investigators, to hear of the latest celebrity scandal being played out on social media.
The Twitterati have been falling over themselves in a bid to find out the name of the married celebrity at the centre of a scandalous illicit threesome.
The press in England and Wales have been banned from reporting any details of the protagonists, thanks to The Big, Rich and Important Celebrity involved taking out a gagging order.
Unfortunately, it appears his/her injunction wasn’t super enough, as our Big, Rich and Important Celebrity now finds themselves in the somewhat inconvenient position of having all the lurid details published in the press in the US, Canada, and more recently, Scotland.
Maybe the Big, Rich and Important Celebrity didn’t pay enough for their Super-Injunction. After all, £150,000 is roughly what’s required to gag the press. Yes, you’ll need to fork out quite a bit if you really want to keep your name out of things. Funnily enough, the actual court fee for the injunction is only about £50. “So where does the rest come from?” we hear you ask. Hang on, we’ll just consult our friendly lawyer…
Private Investigators and the Law
As private investigators, we work a lot with barristers and solicitors in many areas, such as gathering evidence for trials, providing legal case support, litigation support, carrying out due diligence pre-litigation, and tracing witnesses.
We send a lot of time in court, and have seen the legal system in action from all angles.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that the law of the land is the same for all of us regardless of wealth or status? Sadly, this is very far from the case.
We make no comment on the activities of the rich, the famous, the infamous. But as private investigators who provide legal support on a regular basis, we do think the law is becoming out of reach for Joe Bloggs. It seems the deeper your pockets, the better a legal service you get – whether that be a more highly skilled defence barrister in court, or the most super of injunctions.
And that cannot be right.
