2009–2011 News of the World phone hacking scandal investigations involvement of Ian Edmondson, a senior editor at the paper, in work undertaken by Mulcaire. Beginning on 8 July 2009, "The Guardian" made a series of allegations that the phone hacking activities at the "News of the World" went far beyond the activities for which the "News of the World" royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed in 2007, those activities being limited to members of the royal household. The paper alleged that hacking victims included public figures such as former deputy prime minister John Prescott, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, Tessa Jowell when she was Olympics Secretary, Boris Johnson when
Phone hacking phone companies for relying on outdated encryption techniques in the 2G system, and said that the problem could be fixed very easily. Phone hacking, being a form of surveillance, is illegal in many countries unless it is carried out as lawful interception by a government agency. In the News International phone hacking scandal, private investigator Glenn Mulcaire was found to have violated the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. He was sentenced to six months in prison in January 2007. Renewed controversy over the phone hacking claims led to the closure of the "News of the World" in July 2011.