Contested boundaries between ‘public’ and ‘private’ gain further importance with expanding conceptions of human rights. The guarantee of respect for ‘private life’ in the European Convention on Human Rights, subsequently developed through European case law to embrace reputation and relationships, provides a context for increasing attention given in the UK to the protection of privacy and personal data. However, conflicts between public and private emerge in counter-claims to freedom of expression and rights to a private life. The development of freedom of information legislation in the UK marked a new departure, but with increasing use of data protection legislation to avoid FOIA disclosure, the House of Commons expenses scandal illustrates further conflicting claims over rights to privacy and freedom of information.