Kim and Kanye sought to prove Taylor Swift lied – but they broke the law to do so
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s releasing to the public of recorded footage of a conversation between her husband Kanye West and Taylor Swift may just result in legal trouble for the couple
That’s Taylor Swift, of course. She publicly lambasted the reference, though West and wife Kim Kardashian maintained they informed Swift beforehand and she approved of the lyric. Kardashian even said in GQ magazine that she had video evidence of a phone call between West and Swift, in which the pop star consented to the lyric.
The internet blew up on Sunday when Kardashian released that video on Snapchat, in order to prove that Swift was, indeed, lying. But the video showed that Swift approved the first part of the lyric (“might have sex”), as there was no mention of the second part with the b-word.
Still, one favourite joke during Sunday night’s frenzy over the video was the idea that the “talentless” Kardashian should win journalism’s top prize for investigative reporting.
Unfortunately for the flamboyant couple, they violated one of the first rules you learn in journalism school: always ask if you can record an interview.
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It’s not just ethics. In many countries, it’s the law. Many US states prohibit recording phone conversations unless all parties consent. That’s why you often hear before connecting with a business over the phone something like, “This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance.”