» Mosley takes media privacy concerns further

Max Mosley’s crusade against media outlets invading individual privacy will venture to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg next week.

The former FIA President was the victim of a sensational piece of trash journalism by the News of the World in 2008, showing the then-67-year-old engaging in what the newspaper alleged was Nazi-themed sadomasochistic sex with a cohort of five prostitutes.

The matter caused significant damage to Mosley’s public reputation and placed his position as the head of the FIA under the spotlight, but it precipitated his decision not to contest a re-election for his former role in 2009.

Mosley successfully sued the paper for an invasion of privacy and for the Nazi-themed slur from the paper, and then filed against the United Kingdom, asking that individuals be given the chance to contest the publication of stories if the content relates to their private lives.

Mosley’s action, if successful, could seriously “imperil investigative journalism” and lead to the collapse of newspapers in Europe, according to media lawyer Caroline Kean, as quoted by the Press Gazette.

“There will be a radically different press if he is successful with a lot of the colour taken away,” she added.

However, Mosley’s lawyer Dominic Crossley has countered this and claimed that “proper investigative journalism should not be affected” by the action, but that “unlawful sex exposés should be”.

The case – expected to take several months – will begin on Tuesday, commencing with the opening arguments from the barristers representing both parties.

[Original image via Telegraph]