Scotland Yard is now looking into allegations that the British newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch eavesdropped on the phone conversations of hundreds of celebrities, politicians, and members of the royal family. The Guardian reported yesterday that the practice, employed largely by the Sunday paper News of the World, involved hiring private investigators to do the dirty work — which extended to retrieving private e-mails, voice mails, phone numbers, and bank statements. According to the paper, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and George Michael, and high-up politicians like MPs, Cabinet ministers, and the mayor of London, were among the targeted. News International, Murdoch's company, has not commented, though the Guardian claims in the past they've already paid out multi-million-dollar settlements to three people whose privacy was violated.

To follow updates on this story, check in on the Guardian's live blog of the scandal. Meanwhile, who knew it was so much easier to be an investigative tabloid reporter in the U.K.?

Murdoch Tabloid Hacked Into Cell Phones Of "Hundreds Of Celebrities And Politicians" [AP]