No, they are not getting out of hand, they are getting more out of hand.
The issue here lies not with the paps, but with the vast prices they can command for 'candid' pictures, and in turn, the market for these pictures, which are tabloid magazines and papers.
I do not possess the gene that means I pay money to see a photo of a toddler playing - but millions do, and that is the sad part of modern society.
As far as this being a modern phenomenon, I remember when Prince Andrew was dating actress Koo Stark, a friend of hers told me how she was pursued across London on her motor scooter by a pap on a motorbike, and when she parked he parked, came up to her, and tried to wrench her still-fastened crash helmet off so he could photograph her!
It is little wonder that the Cambridges are worried about their children, and the families and friends that they try and socialise with.