McCartney opens up about phone-hacking fears
Sir Paul McCartney has learned to be cautious after becoming a victim of phone-hacking - he refuses to hold long conversations over the phone and only leaves "benign" messages.
The Beatles legend is convinced U.K. tabloid journalists commissioned a private investigator to improperly access his phone voicemail messages, and has agreed to talk to police investigating the headline-grabbing scandal.
Sir Paul tells The Times he became wary in 2008 during his divorce
from glamour model Heather Mills because "there would be stories
about how I was going on holiday to the Bahamas or whatever and I
would know I hadn't told anyone".
He adds, "The worst thing is that then you suspect everyone - your
PA (personal assistant), who you thought was a great girl - 'What
if?' At the time of the divorce, I realised there was quite a
possibility of many people hacking me for various reasons.
"I used to talk on the phone and say, "If you're taking this down,
get a life.' It is a pity not to be able to talk freely on a
private call."
And the pop superstar admits the privacy invasion has changed the
way he communicates: "I tend not to say much on the phone now. If I
leave a message, it's benign. You edit yourself according to the
new circumstances of the new world. I think it would be quite good
to get some sort of laws (sic)."