News media phone hacking scandal evidence seized from Mulcaire back in August 2006. By mid-year, five people were arrested, including senior journalists from "News of the World". In June 2011, the long-ignored issue of computer hacking was addressed by the launching of . Having failed thus far to put the phone hacking issue to rest, News International's law firm, Hickman & Rose, now hired former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald to review the emails that News International executives had used as the basis of their claim that no one at "News of the World" but Clive Goodman had been involved in phone hacking. Macdonald
2009–2011 News of the World phone hacking scandal investigations to the closure of the "News of the World" on 10 July 2011. However, the affair did not end there, developing into the News Corporation ethics scandal as wrongdoing beyond the "News of the World" (including the United States) and beyond phone hacking (including paying police for information) came to light. The News of the World royal phone hacking scandal had raised evidence of victims being targeted outside the Royal Family, but this evidence did not lead to criminal proceedings. In lieu of criminal proceedings, several public figures commenced litigation against the "News of the World"'s owner News International and