Sex, Bugs & Video Tapes: An Intelligence Squared debate on privacy

Intelligence Squared will be hosting a debate - "Sex, bugs & video tape: the private lives of public figures deserve more protection from the press", with speakers including Max Mosley and Tom Bower.

SEX BUGS & VIDEO TAPES: THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PUBLIC FIGURES DESERVE MORE PROTECTION FROM THE PRESS

So did William Cobbett get it right? “No man has the right to pry into his neighbour’s private concerns,” claimed the great radical reformer, “but when he once comes forward as a candidate for public admiration, esteem or compassion ...his opinions, his principles, his motives, every action of his life, become the fair subject of public discussion.”

Really? How fair? Does that mean anyone with the slightest toehold on fame or public life – any “candidate for public esteem” – must say goodbye to any sort of private life? Does that mean you should just take it on the chin when prying newshounds inform the world of whatever details, true or false, they rake up on your private life, leaving you to clear up the inaccuracies only after your reputation has been trashed? That would appear to be the case in Britain, given that - unlike say in the USA or France - there is no right to privacy here, only a “right to confidence”. But Max Mosley and many who support him think this is wrong, which is why he is applying to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for a change in the law that would make it compulsory for journalists to inform people before publishing private information about them. Has he got a good case? Or is he making an outrageous assault on press freedom? Decide for yourself by coming to the debate.

Speakers include:

For the motion:
Max Mosley - Former president of the FIA who brought a case against the UK's privacy laws in the European Court of Human Rights.

Against the motion:
Tom Bower - investigative journalist and author who has published books on
Robert Maxwell, Richard Branson, Mohamed Fayed and Conrad and Lady Black

Geoffrey Robertson QC - Human rights lawyer and author.

Remaining speakers to be announced.

Chair:
Zeinab Badawi - BBC World News presenter

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