{{Short description|Disclosures of NSA and related global espionage}} {{For|earlier global surveillance disclosures|Global surveillance disclosures (1970–2013)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Global surveillance}} {{NSA surveillance}} {{GCHQ surveillance}}
During the 2010s, international media reports revealed new operational details about the Anglophone cryptographic agencies' [[global surveillance]]<ref>{{cite news |last=[[Barton Gellman]] |title=Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission's accomplished |date=December 24, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-after-months-of-nsa-revelations-says-his-missions-accomplished/2013/12/23/49fc36de-6c1c-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html |access-date=December 25, 2013 |quote=Taken together, the revelations have brought to light a global surveillance system...}}</ref> of both foreign and domestic nationals. The reports mostly relate to [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] documents [[leak (news)|leaked]] by ex-[[National Security Agency|NSA]] contractor [[Edward Snowden]]. The documents consist of intelligence files relating to the U.S. and other [[Five Eyes]] countries.<ref name="WP20130610Security">{{cite news |date=June 10, 2013 |title=Who holds security clearances? |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/who-holds-security-clearances/2013/06/10/983744e4-d232-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_graphic.html |access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> In June 2013, the first of Snowden's documents were published, with further selected documents released to various news outlets throughout the year.
These media reports disclosed several [[secret treaty|secret treaties]] signed by members of the [[UKUSA Agreement|UKUSA community]] in their efforts to implement global surveillance. For example, ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' revealed how the German [[Federal Intelligence Service]] ({{Langx|de|Bundesnachrichtendienst}}; BND) transfers "massive amounts of intercepted data to the NSA",<ref name="spiegelsendnsa">{{cite web |author1=Hubert Gude |author2=Laura Poitras |author3=Marcel Rosenbach |title=German intelligence Sends Massive Amounts of Data to the NSA |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 5, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-intelligence-sends-massive-amounts-of-data-to-the-nsa-a-914821.html |access-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref> while Swedish Television revealed the [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)|National Defence Radio Establishment]] (FRA) provided the NSA with data from its [[diplomatic cable|cable collection]], under a secret agreement signed in 1954 for bilateral cooperation on surveillance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gunnar Rensfeldt |title=NSA 'asking for' specific exchanges from FRA – Secret treaty since 1954 |newspaper=SVT Nyheter |date=December 8, 2013 |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/granskning/ug/nsafra4 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |quote=This document, dated 18 April of this year, clearly shows that the relation is very close indeed, seemingly growing even closer. 'NSA's relationship with the FRA, an extremely competent, technically innovative, and trusted third-party partner, continues to grow. The FRA provided NSA with access to its cable collection in 2011'}}</ref> Other security and intelligence agencies involved in the practice of [[global surveillance]] include those in Australia ([[Australian Signals Directorate|ASD]]), Britain ([[Government Communications Headquarters|GCHQ]]), Canada ([[Communications Security Establishment Canada|CSE]]), Denmark ([[Politiets Efterretningstjeneste|PET]]), France ([[Directorate-General for External Security|DGSE]]), Germany ([[Bundesnachrichtendienst|BND]]), Italy ([[Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna|AISE]]), Japan ([[Defense Intelligence Headquarters|DIH]]), the Netherlands ([[Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst|AIVD]]), Norway ([[Norwegian Intelligence Service|NIS]]), Spain ([[National Intelligence Centre (Spain)|CNI]]), Switzerland ([[Swiss intelligence agencies|NDB]]), Singapore ([[Security and Intelligence division|SID]]) as well as Israel ([[Unit 8200|ISNU]]), which receives raw, unfiltered data of U.S. citizens from the NSA.<ref name="israelnsa1">{{cite news |title=NSA shares raw intelligence including Americans' data with Israel |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 11, 2013 |author1=Glenn Greenwald |author2=Laura Poitras |author3=Ewen MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/11/nsa-americans-personal-data-israel-documents |access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Tim Leslie |author2=Mark Corcoran |title=Explained: Australia's involvement with the NSA, the U.S. spy agency at heart of global scandal |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=November 8, 2013 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/australian-nsa-involvement-explained/5079786 |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name=gchqpartner>{{cite news |last=Julian Borger |title=GCHQ and European spy agencies worked together on mass surveillance |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/01/gchq-europe-spy-agencies-mass-surveillance-snowden |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name=cbcspy>{{cite news |author1=Greg Weston |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |author3=Ryan Gallagher |title=Snowden document shows Canada set up spy posts for NSA |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snowden-document-shows-canada-set-up-spy-posts-for-nsa-1.2456886 |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Denmark is one of the NSA's '9-Eyes' |work=[[The Copenhagen Post]] |url=http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.7611.html |access-date=December 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219010450/http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.7611.html |archive-date=December 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name=frlemjac>{{cite news |last=Jacques Follorou |title=La France, précieux partenaire de l'espionnage de la NSA |work=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |date=November 29, 2013 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2013/11/29/la-france-precieux-partenaire-de-l-espionnage-de-la-nsa_3522653_651865.html |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Christian Fuchs, John Goetz und Frederik Obermaier |title=Verfassungsschutz beliefert NSA |work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]] |date=September 13, 2013 |language=de |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/spionage-in-deutschland-verfassungsschutz-beliefert-nsa-1.1770672 |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kjetil Malkenes Hovland |title=Norway Monitored Phone Traffic and Shared Data With NSA |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303985504579207500439573552 |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref>
On June 14, 2013, United States [[prosecutor]]s [[criminal charge|charged]] Edward Snowden with [[Espionage Act of 1917|espionage]] and [[theft of property|theft of government property]]. In late July 2013, he was granted a one-year temporary [[Right of asylum|asylum]] by the Russian government,<ref>{{cite news |title=Leaker Files for Asylum to Remain in Russia |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 16, 2013 |last=Herszenhorn |first=David M. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/world/europe/snowden-submits-application-for-asylum-in-russia.html |access-date=December 16, 2013}}</ref> contributing to a deterioration of [[Russia–United States relations]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Snowden Asylum Hits U.S.-Russia Relations |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323681904578641610474568782 |access-date=December 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=.S. 'Extremely Disappointed' At Russia's Asylum For Snowden |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/08/01/207831950/snowden-has-left-moscows-airport-as-russia-grants-asylum |access-date=December 16, 2013}}</ref> Toward the end of October 2013, British prime minister [[David Cameron]] threatened to issue a [[D-Notice]] after ''[[The Guardian]]'' published "damaging" intelligence leaks from Snowden.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Francis Elliott |title=Cameron hints at action to stop security leaks |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=October 28, 2013 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/cameron-hints-at-action-to-stop-security-leaks-krg6tl9w80c |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref> In November 2013, a criminal investigation of the disclosure was undertaken by Britain's [[Metropolitan Police Service]].<ref name="criminaluk">{{cite news |author=Satter, Raphael |title=UK Pursuing Criminal Investigation Into Guardian Leaks |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 13, 2013 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/13/uk-investigation-guardian-leaks_n_4266026.html |access-date=September 23, 2014}}</ref> In December 2013, ''[[The Guardian]]'' editor [[Alan Rusbridger]] said: "We have published I think 26 documents so far out of the 58,000 we've seen."<ref>{{cite news |title=Only 1% of Snowden files published – Guardian editor |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=December 3, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25205846 |access-date=December 29, 2013}}</ref>
The extent to which the media reports responsibly informed the public is disputed. In January 2014, [[Barack Obama]], then the president of the United States, claimed that "the sensational way in which these disclosures have come out has often shed more heat than light"<ref name="npr.org">[https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2014/01/17/263480199/transcript-of-president-obamas-speech-on-nsa-reforms Transcript Of President Obama's Speech On NSA Reforms] [[NPR]] January 17, 2014</ref> and critics such as [[Sean Wilentz]] have noted that many of the Snowden documents do not concern domestic surveillance.<ref name="newrepublic.com">[[Sean Wilentz]] (January 19, 2014), [https://newrepublic.com/article/116253/edward-snowden-glenn-greenwald-julian-assange-what-they-believe Would You Feel Differently About Snowden, Greenwald, and Assange If You Knew What They Really Thought?] ''[[The New Republic]]''</ref> In its first assessment of these disclosures, [[the Pentagon]] concluded that Snowden committed the biggest "theft" of U.S. secrets in the [[history of the United States]].<ref name="mostpentagon"/> Sir [[David Omand]], a former director of GCHQ, described Snowden's disclosure as the "most catastrophic loss to British intelligence ever".<ref name="omandsnowden">{{cite news |title=Snowden leaks 'worst ever loss to British intelligence' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=October 11, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24486649 |access-date=February 4, 2014}}</ref>
==Background== Snowden obtained the documents while working for [[Booz Allen Hamilton]], one of the largest contractors for defense and intelligence in the United States.<ref name="WP20130610Security"/> The initial simultaneous publication in June 2013 by ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and ''[[The Guardian]]''<ref>{{cite news |last=Greenwald |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |title=NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order |access-date=August 16, 2013 |quote=Exclusive: Top secret court order requiring [[Verizon]] to hand over all call data shows scale of domestic surveillance under [[Barack Obama|Obama]]}}</ref> continued throughout 2013. A small portion of the estimated full cache of documents was later published by other media outlets worldwide, most notably ''[[The New York Times]]'' (United States), the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]], the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' (Germany), ''[[O Globo]]'' (Brazil), ''[[Le Monde]]'' (France), ''[[L'espresso]]'' (Italy), ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'' (the Netherlands), ''[[Dagbladet]]'' (Norway), ''[[El País]]'' (Spain), and [[Sveriges Television]] (Sweden).<ref>{{cite web |title=NSA Primary Sources |publisher=[[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] |date=November 19, 2013 |url=https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying/nsadocs |access-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref>
[[Barton Gellman]], a [[Pulitzer Prize]]–winning journalist who led ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s coverage of Snowden's disclosures, summarized the leaks as follows:
{{blockquote|Taken together, the revelations have brought to light a [[global surveillance]] system that cast off many of its historical restraints after the [[September 11 attacks|attacks of Sept. 11, 2001]]. Secret legal authorities empowered the NSA to sweep in the telephone, Internet, and location records of whole populations.|''[[The Washington Post]]''<ref name="gellman12wapo">{{cite news |last=[[Barton Gellman]] |title=Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission's accomplished |date=December 24, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-after-months-of-nsa-revelations-says-his-missions-accomplished/2013/12/23/49fc36de-6c1c-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref>}}
The disclosure revealed specific details of the NSA's close cooperation with U.S. federal agencies such as the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI)<ref name=reutersmicrofbi>{{cite news |title=Microsoft helped NSA, FBI access user info: Guardian |work=[[Reuters]] |date=July 11, 2013 |last=Chan |first=Edwin |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cybersecurity-microsoft-idUSBRE96A11R20130711/ |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Andy Greenberg |title=NSA's Verizon Spying Order Specifically Targeted Americans, Not Foreigners |newspaper=[[Forbes]] |date=June 5, 2013 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/06/05/nsas-verizon-spying-order-specifically-targeted-americans-not-foreigners/ |access-date=December 25, 2013 |quote=In a top secret order obtained by the Guardian newspaper and published Wednesday evening, the FBI on the NSA's behalf demanded that Verizon turn over all [[call detail record]]s originating in the United States for the three months beginning in late April and ending on 19 July.}}</ref> and the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA),<ref>{{cite news |title=Report: NSA and CIA collaborate on drone strikes |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=October 17, 2013 |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-db9d5cb407ab4669af923fbf33577733 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023224002/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/report-nsa-and-cia-collaborate-drone-strikes |archive-date=October 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name=cnndoug>{{cite news |last=Doug Gross |title=Leak: Government spies snooped in 'Warcraft,' other games |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=December 10, 2013 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/09/tech/web/nsa-spying-video-games/ |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref> in addition to the agency's previously undisclosed financial payments to numerous commercial partners and telecommunications companies,<ref>{{cite news |author1=Craig Timberg |author2=Barton Gellman |title=NSA paying U.S. companies for access to communications networks |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 3, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-paying-us-companies-for-access-to-communications-networks/2013/08/29/5641a4b6-10c2-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref><ref name=USATODAYre>{{cite news |last=Michael Winter |title=NSA reimbursed tech firms millions for data |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/23/nsa-paid-internet-firms-surveillance-prism/2693701/ |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Brian Fung |title=The NSA paid Silicon Valley millions to spy on taxpayers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/23/the-nsa-paid-google-and-facebook-millions-to-spy-on-taxpayers/ |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref> as well as its previously undisclosed relationships with international partners such as Britain,<ref name=independentpaygchq>{{cite news |last=Rob Williams |title=Americans pay GCHQ £100m to spy for them, leaked NSA papers from Edward Snowden claim |work=[[The Independent]] |date=August 2, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/americans-pay-gchq-100m-to-spy-for-them-leaked-nsa-papers-from-edward-snowden-claim-8743775.html |access-date=December 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112170159/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/americans-pay-gchq-100m-to-spy-for-them-leaked-nsa-papers-from-edward-snowden-claim-8743775.html |archive-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name=ftgchq>{{cite news |last=Kiran Stacey |title=US paid GCHQ £100m for UK intelligence, say leaked documents |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/201ce09a-fac8-11e2-a7aa-00144feabdc0 |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref> France,<ref name=frlemjac/><ref>{{cite web |title=Espionnage: les services secrets français précieux partenaires de la NSA américaine |publisher=[[Radio France Internationale]] |language=fr |date=November 30, 2013 |url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/ameriques/20131130-espionnage-services-secrets-francais-precieux-partenaires-nsa-americaine |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref> Germany,<ref name="spiegelsendnsa"/><ref>{{cite web |title=SPIEGEL Reveals Cooperation Between NSA and German BND |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 8, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/spiegel-reveals-cooperation-between-nsa-and-german-bnd-a-909954.html |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref> and its [[secret treaty|secret treaties]] with foreign governments that were recently established for sharing intercepted data of each other's citizens.<ref name="israelnsa1"/><ref name="ukusaball"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Philip Dorling |title=US shares raw intelligence on Australians with Israel |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=September 12, 2013 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/us-shares-raw-intelligence-on-australians-with-israel-20130912-2tllm.html |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Ewen MacAskill |author2=James Ball |author-link2=James Ball (journalist) |author3=Katharine Murphy |title=Revealed: Australian spy agency offered to share data about ordinary citizens |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 2, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/02/revealed-australian-spy-agency-offered-to-share-data-about-ordinary-citizens |access-date=December 25, 2013}}</ref> The disclosures were made public over the course of several months since June 2013, by the press in several nations from the trove leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden,<ref name="NYT20140114"/> who obtained the trove while working for [[Booz Allen Hamilton]].<ref name="WP20130610Security"/>
[[George Brandis]], the [[Attorney-General of Australia]], claimed that Snowden's disclosure is the "most serious setback for Western intelligence since the [[World War II|Second World War]]."<ref name="australian20k"/>
===Global surveillance=== {{Main|Global surveillance}} {{As of|2013|12}}, global surveillance programs include: {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+[[Global surveillance]] programs |- ! Program ! International contributors and/or partners ! Commercial partners |- | style="text-align:left; width:120px;"| {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[PRISM (surveillance program)|PRISM]]''' | * {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Australian Signals Directorate]] (ASD/DSD) of Australia<ref>{{cite news |last=Philip Dorling |title=Australia gets 'deluge' of US secret data, prompting a new data facility |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=June 13, 2013 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/australia-gets-deluge-of-us-secret-data-prompting-a-new-data-facility-20130612-2o4kf.html |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Government Communications Headquarters]] (GCHQ) of the UK<ref>{{cite web |last=Nick Hopkins |title=UK gathering secret intelligence via covert NSA operation |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 7, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/07/uk-gathering-secret-intelligence-nsa-prism |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst]] (AIVD) of the Netherlands<ref>{{cite web |last=Olmer |first=Bart |title=Ook AIVD bespiedt internetter |work=[[De Telegraaf]] |date=June 11, 2013 |language=nl |url=http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21638965/__Ook_AIVD_bespiedt_internetter__.html |access-date=September 10, 2013 |quote=Niet alleen Amerikaanse inlichtingendiensten monitoren internetters wereldwijd. Ook Nederlandse geheime diensten krijgen informatie uit het omstreden surveillanceprogramma 'Prism'.}}</ref> | * [[Microsoft]]<ref name=reutersmicrofbi/><ref name="guardian130711"/><ref name=cnnprism>{{cite news |last=Brandon Griggs |title=Report: Microsoft collaborated closely with NSA |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=July 13, 2013 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/12/tech/web/microsoft-nsa-snooping/ |access-date=December 25, 2013 |quote=And Microsoft also worked with the FBI this year to give the NSA easier access to its cloud storage service SkyDrive}}</ref> and its subsidiaries [[Skype]]<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=July 10, 2013 |title=NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/ |access-date=2020-10-07}}</ref> and [[Outlook.com|Hotmail]]<ref name=":0"/> * [[Facebook]]<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite web |title=NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others |work=[[The Guardian]] |last1=Greenwald |first1=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |last2=MacAskill |first2=Ewen |date=2013-06-07 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data |access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref> * [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]<ref name="The Guardian"/> * [[Google]]<ref name="The Guardian"/> and its subsidiary [[YouTube]] * [[Yahoo!|Yahoo]]<ref name=":0"/> * [[Paltalk|PalTalk]]<ref name=":0"/> * [[AOL]]<ref name=":0"/> |- |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[XKeyscore]]''' | * {{flagicon|GER}} [[Bundesnachrichtendienst]] (BND) of Germany<ref name="spiegelsendnsa"/><ref name="bndspiegelxkeys1">{{cite news |author1=René Pfister |author2=[[Laura Poitras]] |author3=Marcel Rosenbach |author4=Jörg Schindler |author5=Holger Stark |title=German Intelligence Worked Closely with NSA on Data Surveillance |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 22, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-intelligence-worked-closely-with-nsa-on-data-surveillance-a-912355.html |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|GER}} [[Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz]] (BfV) of Germany<ref name="spiegelsendnsa"/><ref name="bndspiegelxkeys1"/> * {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)|National Defence Radio Establishment]] (FRA) of Sweden<ref name=svtsnowd2>{{cite web |author=Gunnar Rensfeldt |title=FRA has access to controversial surveillance system |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/fra-has-access-to-controversial-surveillance-system |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name=svtsnowd1>{{cite web |author=Gunnar Rensfeldt |title=Read the Snowden Documents From the NSA |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/read-the-snowden-documents-from-the-nsa |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref>
| |- |align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} '''[[Tempora]]''' | * {{flagicon|USA}} [[National Security Agency]] (NSA)<ref>{{cite web |author1=Nick Hopkins |author2=Julian Borger |title=Exclusive: NSA pays £100m in secret funding for GCHQ |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/01/nsa-paid-gchq-spying-edward-snowden |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rob Williams |title=Americans pay GCHQ £100m to spy for them, leaked NSA papers from Edward Snowden claim |work=[[The Independent]] |date=August 2, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/americans-pay-gchq-100m-to-spy-for-them-leaked-nsa-papers-from-edward-snowden-claim-8743775.html |access-date=December 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112170159/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/americans-pay-gchq-100m-to-spy-for-them-leaked-nsa-papers-from-edward-snowden-claim-8743775.html |archive-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref> | * [[British Telecommunications]] (codenamed "'''Remedy'''")<ref name=gtbp>{{cite news |author1=James Ball |author2=Luke Harding |author3=Juliette Garside |title=BT and Vodafone among telecoms companies passing details to GCHQ |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 2, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/aug/02/telecoms-bt-vodafone-cables-gchq |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * [[Interoute]] (codenamed "'''Streetcar'''")<ref name=gtbp/> * [[Level 3 Communications|Level 3]] (codenamed "'''Little'''")<ref name=gtbp/> * [[Global Crossing]] (codenamed "'''Pinnage'''")<ref name=gtbp/> * [[Verizon Business]] (codenamed "'''Dacron'''")<ref name=gtbp/> * [[Viatel]] (codenamed "'''Vitreous'''")<ref name=gtbp/> * [[Vodafone|Vodafone Cable]] (codenamed "'''Gerontic'''")<ref name=gtbp/> |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|GBR}} '''[[Muscular (surveillance program)|MUSCULAR]]''' | * {{flagicon|USA}} NSA<ref name="How we know">{{cite news |title=How we know the NSA had access to internal Google and Yahoo cloud data |last1=Gellman |first1=Barton |last2=Soltani |first2=Ashkan |last3=Peterson |first3=Andrea |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 4, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/11/04/how-we-know-the-nsa-had-access-to-internal-google-and-yahoo-cloud-data/ |access-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref> | |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|GER}} '''[[Project 6]]''' | * {{flagicon|USA}} [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA)<ref name="p6spiegel">{{cite news |author1=Matthias Gebauer |author2=Hubert Gude |author3=Veit Medick |author4=Jörg Schindler |author5=Fidelius Schmid |title=CIA Worked With BND and BfV in Neuss on Secret Project |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=September 9, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/cia-worked-with-bnd-and-bfv-in-neuss-on-secret-project-a-921254.html |access-date=December 20, 2013}}</ref> | |- | style="text-align:left;"|'''[[Stateroom (surveillance program)|Stateroom]]''' | * {{flagicon|Australia}} DSD<ref>{{cite news |last=Philip Dorling |title=Exposed: Australia's Asia spy network |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=October 31, 2013 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/exposed-australias-asia-spy-network-20131030-2whia.html |access-date=December 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="spiegelstate">{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Spies in the Embassy |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 27, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/photo-gallery-spies-in-the-embassy-fotostrecke-103079-5.html |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Communications Security Establishment Canada]] (CSEC)<ref name="spiegelstate"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Colin Freeze |title=Canadian embassies eavesdrop, leak says |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=Toronto |date=October 29, 2013 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/canada-involved-in-us-spying-efforts-abroad-leaked-document-says/article15133508/ |access-date=December 23, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} GCHQ<ref name="spiegelstate"/><ref name=independentstateroom>{{cite news |author=Duncan Campbell |author2=Cahal Milmo |author3=Kim Sengupta |author4=Nigel Morris |author5=Tony Patterson |title=Revealed: Britain's 'secret listening post in the heart of Berlin' |work=[[The Independent]] |date=November 5, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-britains-secret-listening-post-in-the-heart-of-berlin-8921548.html |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|United States}} [[Special Collection Service]] (SCS)<ref name="spiegelstate"/><ref name=independentstateroom/><ref name=independentcia>{{cite news |author1=Duncan Campbell |author2=Cahal Milmo |title=Exclusive: RAF Croughton base 'sent secrets from Merkel's phone straight to the CIA' |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=November 5, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-raf-croughton-base-sent-secrets-from-merkels-phone-straight-to-the-cia-8923401.html |access-date=December 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414114133/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-raf-croughton-base-sent-secrets-from-merkels-phone-straight-to-the-cia-8923401.html |archive-date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> | |- |align="left"| '''[[Lustre (code name)|Lustre]]''' | * {{flagicon|USA}} NSA<ref name="lemonde1">{{cite news |last=Jacques Follorou |title=Surveillance : la DGSE a transmis des données à la NSA américaine |work=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |date=October 30, 2013 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2013/10/30/surveillance-la-dgse-a-transmis-des-donnees-a-la-nsa-americaine_3505266_3210.html |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref><ref name="leparis">{{cite news |title=Espionnage : la France aurait collaboré avec la NSA |newspaper=[[Le Parisien]] |date=October 29, 2013 |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/espionnage-la-france-aurait-collabore-avec-la-nsa-29-10-2013-3268865.php |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref> * {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure]] (DGSE) of France<ref name="lemonde1"/><ref name="leparis"/> | |}
The NSA was also getting data directly from [[telecommunications companies]] code-named Artifice (Verizon), Lithium (AT&T), Serenade, SteelKnight, and X. The real identities of the companies behind these code names were not included in the [[Edward Snowden|Snowden document dump]] because they were protected as [[Exceptionally Controlled Information]] which prevents wide circulation even to those (like Snowden) who otherwise have the necessary security clearance.<ref>{{cite web |title=NSA files decoded: Edward Snowden's surveillance revelations explained |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=November 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/snowden-nsa-files-surveillance-revelations-decoded#section/3}}</ref><ref name=ecisnowden>{{cite news |author1=Ewen MacAskill |author2=Dominic Rushe |title=Snowden document reveals key role of companies in NSA data collection |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/nsa-data-collection-tech-firms |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref>
===Disclosures=== Although the exact size of Snowden's disclosure remains unknown, the following estimates have been put up by various government officials: * At least 15,000 [[Australian Intelligence Community|Australian intelligence]] files, according to Australian officials<ref name="australian20k">{{cite news|author1=Cameron Stewart|author1-link=Cameron Stewart (journalist)|author2=Paul Maley |date=December 5, 2013 |title=Edward Snowden stole up to 20,000 Aussie files |work=[[The Australian]] |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/foreign-affairs/edward-snowden-stole-up-to-20000-aussie-files/news-story/5c082d0996d2435a412aa603fefa60ae |access-date=February 3, 2021}}</ref> * At least 58,000 British intelligence files, according to British officials<ref>{{cite news |title=David Miranda row: Seized files 'endanger agents' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=August 30, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23898580 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> * About 1.7 million U.S. intelligence files, according to [[U.S. Department of Defense]] talking points<ref name="mostpentagon">{{cite news |title=Pentagon Says Snowden Took Most U.S. Secrets Ever |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=January 10, 2014 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-09/pentagon-finds-snowden-took-1-7-million-files-rogers-says |access-date=2014-04-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110092104/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-09/pentagon-finds-snowden-took-1-7-million-files-rogers-says.html |archive-date=January 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name="ViceNewsJune2015">{{cite news |last=Leopold |first=Jason |title=Exclusive: Inside Washington's Quest to Bring Down Edward Snowden |work=[[Vice News]] |date=June 4, 2015 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/exclusive-inside-washingtons-quest-to-bring-down-edward-snowden/ |access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
As a contractor of the NSA, Snowden was granted access to U.S. government documents along with [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] documents of several [[Western allies|allied]] governments, via the exclusive [[Five Eyes]] network.<ref>{{cite news |last=Corera |first=Gordon |title=Spying scandal: Will the 'five eyes' club open up? |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=October 29, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24715168 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> Snowden claims that he currently does not physically possess any of these documents, having surrendered all copies to journalists he met in [[Hong Kong]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Risen |first=James|author-link=James Risen|title=Snowden Says He Took No Secret Files to Russia |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 17, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/snowden-says-he-took-no-secret-files-to-russia.html |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
According to his lawyer, Snowden has pledged not to release any documents while in Russia, leaving the responsibility for further disclosures solely to journalists.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Timothy Heritage |author2=Steve Holland |title=Russia gives Snowden asylum, Obama-Putin summit in doubt |work=[[Reuters]] |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-snowden-russia-idUSBRE9700N120130801 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> As of 2014, the following news outlets have accessed some of the documents provided by Snowden: [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]], [[Channel 4]], ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', ''[[El País]]'', ''[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]]'', ''[[L'espresso]]'', ''[[Le Monde]]'', [[NBC]], ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'', ''[[Dagbladet]]'', ''[[O Globo]]'', ''[[South China Morning Post]]'', ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'', [[Sveriges Television]], ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.
===Historical context=== {{Main|Global surveillance disclosures (1970–2013)}} In the 1970s, NSA analyst [[Perry Fellwock]] (under the pseudonym "Winslow Peck") revealed the existence of the [[UKUSA Agreement]], which forms the basis of the [[ECHELON]] network, whose existence was revealed in 1988 by [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] employee Margaret Newsham.<ref name="ramparts">{{cite news |title=U.S. Electronic Espionage: A Memoir |work=Ramparts |date=August 1972 |pages=35–50 |quote=The SIGINT community was defined by a TOP SECRET treaty signed in 1947. It was called the UKUSA treaty. The National Security Agency signed for the U.S. and became what's called the First Party to the Treaty.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Duncan |author-link=Duncan Campbell (journalist, born 1952) |title=Somebody's Listening |newspaper=[[New Statesman]] |date=August 12, 1988 |url=http://duncan.gn.apc.org/echelon-dc.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420093650/http://duncan.gn.apc.org/echelon-dc.htm |archive-date=April 20, 2013 |quote=The Congressional officials were first told of the Thurmond interception by a former employee of the Lockheed Space and Missiles Corporation, Margaret Newsham, who now lives in Sunnyvale, California.}}</ref> Months before the [[September 11 attacks]] and during its aftermath, further details of the [[global surveillance]] apparatus were provided by various individuals such as the former [[MI5]] official [[David Shayler]] and the journalist [[James Bamford]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Shayler: Whistleblower or traitor? |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=March 3, 2000 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/658129.stm |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=JOSEPH FINDER |title=Bugging the World |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 29, 2001 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/04/29/reviews/010429.29findert.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> who were followed by: * NSA employees [[William Binney (U.S. intelligence official)|William Binney]] and [[Thomas Andrews Drake]], who revealed that the NSA is rapidly expanding its surveillance<ref>{{cite web |title=NSA Whistleblowers William (Bill) Binney and J. Kirk Wiebe |publisher=[[Government Accountability Project]] |url=http://www.whistleblower.org/program-areas/homeland-security-a-human-rights/surveillance/nsa-whistleblowers-bill-binney-a-j-kirk-wiebe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212065859/http://www.whistleblower.org/program-areas/homeland-security-a-human-rights/surveillance/nsa-whistleblowers-bill-binney-a-j-kirk-wiebe |archive-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ellen Nakashima |title=Former NSA executive Thomas A. Drake may pay high price for media leak |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 14, 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071305992.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> * GCHQ employee [[Katharine Gun]], who revealed a plot to bug UN delegates shortly before the [[Iraq War]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Interview: Whistleblower Katharine Gun |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=November 27, 2003 |last=Davies |first=Ben |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3659310.stm |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> * British Cabinet Minister [[Clare Short]], who revealed in 2004 that the UK had spied on UN Secretary-General [[Kofi Annan]]<ref>{{cite news |title=UK 'spied on UN's Kofi Annan' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=February 26, 2004 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3488548.stm |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> * Justice Department lawyer [[Thomas Tamm]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boghani |first1=Priyanka |title=Whistleblower Facing Ethics Charges Over NSA Leak |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/whistleblower-facing-ethics-charges-over-nsa-leak/ |access-date=31 December 2024 |publisher=Public Broadcasting Service |date=28 January 2016}}</ref> who triggered the [[NSA warrantless surveillance controversy]] after revealing that the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush Administration]] had spied on U.S. citizens without court approval.<ref name=nytimes2005>{{cite news|author1=[[James Risen]]|author2=[[Eric Lichtblau]]|title=Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 16, 2005 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> [[Russell Tice]], who was dismissed from his job a space systems specialist at the NSA, was subpoenaed before a grand jury to testify about the NSA's domestic surveillance program.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brian Ross |title=NSA Whistleblower Alleges Illegal Spying |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=January 10, 2006 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1491889 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> * Journalist Leslie Cauley of ''[[USA Today]]'', who revealed in 2006 that the NSA is keeping a massive database of Americans' phone calls<ref name=USATODAY1>{{cite news |last=Leslie Cauley |title=NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls |work=[[USA Today]] |date=May 11, 2006 |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> * [[AT&T]] employee [[Mark Klein]], who revealed in 2006 the existence of [[Room 641A]] of the NSA<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Wiretap Whistle-Blower's Account |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=April 6, 2006 |url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/04/70621 |access-date=December 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117013803/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/04/70621 |archive-date=January 17, 2014}}</ref> * Activists [[Julian Assange]] and [[Chelsea Manning]], who revealed in 2011 the existence of the [[mass surveillance industry]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikileaks disclosure shines light on Big Brother |work=[[CBS News]] |date=December 1, 2011 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikileaks-disclosure-shines-light-on-big-brother/ |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> * Journalist [[Michael Hastings (journalist)|Michael Hastings]], who revealed in 2012 that protestors of the [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement were kept under surveillance<ref>{{cite news |last=[[Michael Hastings (journalist)|Michael Hastings]] |title=Exclusive: Homeland Security Kept Tabs on Occupy Wall Street |newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=February 28, 2012 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/exclusive-homeland-security-kept-tabs-on-occupy-wall-street-20120228 |access-date=January 5, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229194900/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/exclusive-homeland-security-kept-tabs-on-occupy-wall-street-20120228 |archive-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref>
In the aftermath of Snowden's revelations, [[The Pentagon]] concluded that Snowden committed the biggest theft of U.S. secrets in the [[history of the United States]].<ref name="mostpentagon"/> In Australia, the coalition government described the leaks as the most damaging blow dealt to [[Australian Intelligence Community|Australian intelligence]] in history.<ref name="australian20k"/> Sir [[David Omand]], a former director of GCHQ, described Snowden's disclosure as the "most catastrophic loss to British intelligence ever".<ref name="omandsnowden"/>
==Timeline of disclosures==
{{dmbox | type = setindex | image = none | text = In this section, disclosures of information are listed in the order in which they were published by a public-facing media source. Much of the information disclosed concerned programs whose existences precede their discovery by many years, but whose finding had occurred much later. Due to government ''[[Prior restraint|orders of prior restraint]]'', such as those imposed by the David Cameron administration,<ref name=":1" /> journalistically exposed information only represents a small portion of the information within the source documents themselves. <br /><br /> For the main article chronicling a timeline of global surveillance disclosures from 2013 to the present day, see: [[Timeline of global surveillance disclosures (2013–present)]] }} [[File:The Mira.jpg|thumb|[[The Mira Hong Kong|The Mira]] hotel in Hong Kong, where Edward Snowden hosted his first meeting with [[Glenn Greenwald]], [[Laura Poitras]], and journalist Ewen MacAskill of ''[[The Guardian]]''<ref name="mira"/>]]
In April 2012, NSA contractor [[Edward Snowden]] began downloading documents.<ref name="reuterschrono">Mark Hosenball (August 15, 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-snowden-dell-idUSBRE97E17P20130815 Snowden downloaded NSA secrets while working for Dell, sources say] ''[[Reuters]]''</ref> That year, Snowden had made his first contact with journalist [[Glenn Greenwald]], then employed by ''[[The Guardian]]'', and he contacted documentary filmmaker [[Laura Poitras]] in January 2013.<ref name="poitras-how">{{cite news |title=How we broke the NSA story |last=Carmon |first=Irin |date=June 10, 2013 |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/06/10/qa_with_laura_poitras_the_woman_behind_the_nsa_scoops/singleton/ |access-date=June 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615053746/http://www.salon.com/2013/06/10/qa_with_laura_poitras_the_woman_behind_the_nsa_scoops/singleton/ |archive-date=June 15, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Maass">[[Peter Maass]] (August 18, 2013), [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/magazine/laura-poitras-snowden.html "How Laura Poitras Helped Snowden Spill His Secrets"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''</ref>
===2013===
====May==== In May 2013, Snowden went on temporary leave from his position at the NSA, citing the pretext of receiving treatment for his [[epilepsy]]. He traveled from [[Hawaii]] to [[Hong Kong]] at the end of May.<ref name="guardian-reveal">{{cite news |title=Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations |last1=Greenwald |first1=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |last2=MacAskill |first2=Ewen |last3=Poitras |first3=Laura |date=June 9, 2013 |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance |access-date=June 9, 2013}}</ref><ref name="cnn-hotel">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Matt |last2=Pearson |first2=Michael |title=NSA leaker holed up in Hong Kong hotel, running low on cash |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=June 10, 2013 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/10/politics/nsa-leak/index.html |access-date=June 10, 2013}}</ref> Greenwald, Poitras and ''The Guardian''<nowiki/>'s defence and intelligence correspondent [[Ewen MacAskill]] flew to Hong Kong for meeting Snowden.
====June==== After the U.S.-based editor of ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Janine Gibson (journalist)|Janine Gibson]], held several meetings in New York City, she decided that Greenwald, Poitras and the ''Guardian''{{'}}s defence and intelligence correspondent Ewen MacAskill would fly to Hong Kong to meet Snowden. On June 5, in the first media report based on the leaked material,<ref>{{cite web |title=Everything We Learned from Edward Snowden in 2013 |work=National Journal |url=https://www.nationaljournal.com/defense/everything-we-learned-from-edward-snowden-in-2013-20131231}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' exposed a [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] court order showing that the NSA had collected phone records from over 120 million [[MAINWAY|Verizon subscribers]].<ref name="guardiangg621">{{cite news |last=Greenwald |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |title=NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> Under the order, the numbers of both parties on a call, as well as the location data, unique identifiers, time of call, and duration of call were handed over to the FBI, which turned over the records to the NSA.<ref name="guardiangg621"/> According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', the Verizon order is part of a controversial data program, which seeks to stockpile records on all calls made in the U.S., but does not collect information directly from [[T-Mobile US]] and [[Verizon Wireless]], in part because of their foreign ownership ties.<ref>{{cite news |title=T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless Shielded from NSA Sweep |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=June 14, 2013 |author1=Danny Yadron |author2=Evan Perez |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324049504578543800240266368 |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref> [[File:Prism-slide-8.jpg|thumb|PRISM: a [[clandestine operation|clandestine]] [[global surveillance|surveillance]] program under which the NSA collects user data from companies such as [[Facebook]] and [[Microsoft]].]] On June 6, 2013, the second media disclosure, the revelation of the [[PRISM (surveillance program)|PRISM surveillance program]] (which collects the e-mail, voice, text and video chats of foreigners and an unknown number of Americans from Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Apple and other tech giants),<ref name="WaPo1">{{cite news |author1=Gellman, Barton |author2-link=Laura Poitras |author2=Poitras, Laura |title=US Intelligence Mining Data from Nine U.S. Internet Companies in Broad Secret Program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 6, 2013 |author1-link=Barton Gellman |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html |access-date=June 15, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Greenwald1">{{cite news |author1=Greenwald, Glenn |author2=MacAskill, Ewen |title=NSA Taps in to Internet Giants' Systems to Mine User Data, Secret Files Reveal – Top-Secret Prism Program Claims Direct Access to Servers of Firms Including Google, Apple and Facebook – Companies Deny Any Knowledge of Program in Operation Since 2007 – Obama Orders US to Draw Up Overseas Target List for Cyber-Attacks |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2013 |location=London |author1-link=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data |access-date=June 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 6, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/ |access-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Inner workings of a top-secret spy program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 29, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Todd Lindeman |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/inner-workings-of-a-top-secret-spy-program/282/ |access-date=February 11, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830105407/https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/inner-workings-of-a-top-secret-spy-program/282/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref> was published simultaneously by ''[[The Guardian]]'' and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name="mira">{{cite news |title=How Edward Snowden led journalist and film-maker to reveal NSA secrets |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 19, 2013 |last1=Greenslade |first1=Roy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/19/edward-snowden-nsa-secrets-glenn-greenwald-laura-poitras |access-date=August 20, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=U.S., British intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last1=Gellman |first1=Barton |last2=Poitras |first2=Laura |date=June 7, 2013 |df=mdy-all |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html |access-date=August 20, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824083615/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-06/news/39784046_1_prism-nsa-u-s-servers |archive-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Xkeyscore-worldmap.jpg|thumb|right|245px|Slide from a 2008 NSA presentation about [[XKeyscore]], showing a world map with the locations of XKeyscore servers]] ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' revealed NSA spying on multiple diplomatic missions of the [[European Union]] and the [[United Nations Headquarters]] in New York.<ref>{{cite news |author1=[[Laura Poitras]] |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Fidelius Schmid |author4=Holger Stark |title=NSA Spied on European Union Offices |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=June 29, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/nsa-spied-on-european-union-offices-a-908590.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=[[Laura Poitras]] |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title=How America Spies on Europe and the UN |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/secret-nsa-documents-show-how-the-us-spies-on-europe-and-the-un-a-918625.html}}</ref> During specific episodes within a four-year period, the NSA hacked several Chinese mobile-phone companies,<ref>[https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1266821/us-hacks-chinese-mobile-phone-companies-steals-sms-data-edward-snowden EXCLUSIVE: US hacks Chinese mobile phone companies], ''South China Morning Post''</ref> the [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]] and [[Tsinghua University]] in Beijing,<ref>[https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1266892/exclusive-nsa-targeted-chinas-tsinghua-university-extensive-hacking NSA targeted China's Tsinghua University in hacking attacks], ''South China Morning Post''</ref> and the Asian fiber-optic network operator [[Pacnet]].<ref>Lam, Lana (June 23, 2013). [https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1266875/exclusive-us-hacked-pacnet-asia-pacific-fibre-optic-network-operator "US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009"]. ''South China Morning Post'' (Hong Kong). Retrieved June 25, 2013.</ref> Only [[Five-eyes|Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK]] are explicitly exempted from NSA attacks, whose main target in the European Union is Germany.<ref>{{cite news |author1=[[Laura Poitras]] |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title=Geheimdokumente: NSA überwacht 500 Millionen Verbindungen in Deutschland |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=June 30, 2013 |language=de |url=https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/nsa-ueberwacht-500-millionen-verbindungen-in-deutschland-a-908517.html |access-date=June 30, 2013}}</ref> A method of bugging encrypted fax machines used at an EU embassy is codenamed [[Dropmire]].<ref>{{cite news |title=New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies |author1=MacAskill, Ewen |author2=Borger, Julian |date=June 30, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/30/nsa-leaks-us-bugging-european-allies}}</ref>
During the [[2009 G-20 London summit]], the British intelligence agency [[Government Communications Headquarters]] (GCHQ) intercepted the communications of foreign diplomats.<ref name="guardiangchq">{{cite news |title=GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summits |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=June 17, 2013 |author1=MacAskill, Ewen |author2=Davies, Nick |author3=Hopkins, Nick |author4=Borger, Julian |author5=Ball, James |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/16/gchq-intercepted-communications-g20-summits |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> In addition, GCHQ has been intercepting and storing mass quantities of fiber-optic traffic via [[Tempora]].<ref name="tempora">{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |last2=Borger |first2=Julian |last3=Hopkins |first3=Nick |last4=Davies |first4=Nick |last5=Ball |first5=James |title=GCHQ taps fiber-optic cables for secret access to world's communications |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 21, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/21/gchq-cables-secret-world-communications-nsa}}</ref> Two principal components of Tempora are called "[[Mastering the Internet]]" (MTI) and "[[Global Telecoms Exploitation]]".<ref name="Guardian45136fdh">{{cite news |author1=Ewen MacAskill |author2=Julian Borger |author3=Nick Hopkins |author4=Nick Davies |author5=James Ball |title=GCHQ taps fibre-optic cables for secret access to world's communications |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 21, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/21/gchq-cables-secret-world-communications-nsa |access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref> The data is preserved for three days while [[metadata]] is kept for thirty days.<ref name=bump>{{cite web |author=Philip Bump |title=The UK Tempora Program Captures Vast Amounts of Data – and Shares with NSA |work=[[The Atlantic]] Wire |date=June 21, 2013 |url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/06/uk-tempora-program/66490/ |access-date=June 23, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105105045/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/06/uk-tempora-program/66490/ |archive-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref> Data collected by the [[GCHQ]] under Tempora is shared with the [[National Security Agency]] in the United States.<ref name="Guardian45136fdh"/>
From 2001 to 2011, the NSA collected vast amounts of metadata records detailing the email and internet usage of Americans via [[Stellar Wind (code name)|Stellar Wind]],<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA collected US email records in bulk for more than two years under Obama |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 27, 2013 |author=[[Glenn Greenwald]] and [[Spencer Ackerman]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/27/nsa-data-mining-authorised-obama |access-date=August 1, 2013}}</ref> which was later terminated due to operational and resource constraints. It was subsequently replaced by newer surveillance programs such as ShellTrumpet, which "''processed its one trillionth metadata record''" by the end of December 2012.<ref name="GuardianShell20130627">{{cite news |title=How the NSA is still harvesting your online data |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 27, 2013 |author=[[Glenn Greenwald]] and [[Spencer Ackerman]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/27/nsa-online-metadata-collection |access-date=August 1, 2013}}</ref>
The NSA follows specific procedures to target non-U.S. persons<ref>{{cite news |title=Procedures Used by NSA to Target Non-US Persons: Exhibit A – Full Document – Top-Secret Documents Show Fisa Judges Have Signed Off on Broad Orders Allowing the NSA to Make Use of Information 'Inadvertently' Collected from Domestic US Communications Without a Warrant – Revealed: The Secret Rules That Allow NSA to Use US Data Without a Warrant |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 20, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/jun/20/exhibit-a-procedures-nsa-document |access-date=July 13, 2013}}</ref> and to minimize data collection from U.S. persons.<ref>{{cite news |title=Procedures Used by NSA to Minimize Data Collection from US Persons: Exhibit B – Full Document – The Documents Detail the Procedures the NSA Is Required to Follow to Target 'Non-US Persons' under Its Foreign Intelligence Powers – And What the Agency Does to Minimize Data Collected on US Citizens and Residents – Revealed: The Secret Rules That Allow NSA to Use US Data Without a Warrant |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 20, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/jun/20/exhibit-b-nsa-procedures-document |access-date=July 13, 2013}}</ref> These court-approved policies allow the NSA to:<ref name="Guardian20130720">{{cite news |title=The Top Secret Rules That Allow NSA to Use US Data Without a Warrant – Fisa Court Submissions Show Broad Scope of Procedures Governing NSA's Surveillance of Americans' Communication – Document One: Procedures Used by NSA to Target Non-US Persons – Document Two: Procedures Used by NSA to Minimise Data Collected from US Persons |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 20, 2013 |author1=Greenwald, Glenn |author2=Ball, James |location=London |author1-link=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/20/fisa-court-nsa-without-warrant |access-date=July 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New documents reveal parameters of NSA's secret surveillance programs |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 21, 2013 |author1=Ellen Nakashima |author2=Barton Gellman |author3=Greg Miller |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/new-documents-reveal-parameters-of-nsas-secret-surveillance-programs/2013/06/20/54248600-d9f7-11e2-a9f2-42ee3912ae0e_story.html |access-date=February 13, 2014}}</ref> * keep data that could potentially contain details of U.S. persons for up to five years; * retain and make use of "inadvertently acquired" domestic communications if they contain usable intelligence, information on criminal activity, threat of harm to people or property, are encrypted, or are believed to contain any information relevant to cybersecurity; * preserve "foreign intelligence information" contained within [[attorney–client privilege|attorney–client communications]]; and * access the content of communications gathered from "U.S.-based machine[s]" or phone numbers to establish if targets are located in the U.S., for the purposes of ceasing further surveillance.
According to [[Boundless Informant]], over 97 billion pieces of intelligence were collected over 30 days ending in March 2013. Out of all 97 billion sets of information, about 3 billion [[data set]]s originated from U.S. computer networks<ref>{{cite web |last=[[Glenn Greenwald]] and Ewen MacAskill |title=Boundless Informant: the NSA's secret tool to track global surveillance data |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 11, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-boundless-informant-global-datamining |access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> and around 500 million metadata records were collected from German networks.<ref>{{cite news |author1=[[Laura Poitras]] |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title=Partner and Target: NSA Snoops on 500 Million German Data Connections |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=June 30, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/nsa-spies-on-500-million-german-data-connections-a-908648.html |access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
In August 2013, it was revealed that the [[Bundesnachrichtendienst]] (BND) of Germany transfers massive amounts of metadata records to the NSA.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Hubert Gude |author2=Laura Poitras |author3=Marcel Rosenbach |title=German Intelligence Sends Massive Amounts of Data to the NSA |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 5, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-intelligence-sends-massive-amounts-of-data-to-the-nsa-a-914821.html |access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
''Der Spiegel'' disclosed that out of all [[member state of the European Union|27 member states]] of the European Union, Germany is the most targeted due to the NSA's systematic monitoring and storage of Germany's telephone and Internet connection data. According to the magazine, the NSA stores data from around half a billion communications connections in Germany each month. This data includes telephone calls, emails, mobile phone text messages, and chat transcripts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Partner and Target: NSA Snoops on 500 Million German Data Connections |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=June 30, 2013 |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/nsa-spies-on-500-million-german-data-connections-a-908648.html |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Boundless Informant data collection - DNI.jpg|thumb|center|720px|On June 11, 2013, ''[[The Guardian]]'' published a snapshot of the NSA's global map of electronic data collection for March 2013. Known as the [[Boundless Informant]], the program is used by the NSA to track the amount of data being analyzed over a specific period of time. The color scheme ranges from green (least subjected to surveillance) through yellow and orange to red (most surveillance). Outside the Middle East, only China, Germany, India, [[Kenya]], and the United States are colored orange or yellow]]
====July==== The NSA gained massive amounts of information captured from the monitored data traffic in Europe. For example, in December 2012, the NSA gathered on an average day metadata from some 15 million telephone connections and 10 million Internet datasets. The NSA also monitored the European Commission in Brussels and monitored EU diplomatic Facilities in Washington and at the United Nations by placing bugs in offices as well as infiltrating computer networks.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cover Story: How the NSA Targets Germany and Europe |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 1, 2013 |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Fidelius Schmid |author4=Holger Stark |author5=Jonathan Stock |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/secret-documents-nsa-targeted-germany-and-eu-buildings-a-908609.html |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref>
The U.S. government made as part of its [[PRISM (surveillance program)#Related U.S. government surveillance programs|UPSTREAM data collection program]] deals with companies to ensure that it had access to and hence the capability to surveil undersea fiber-optic cables which deliver e-mails, Web pages, other electronic communications and phone calls from one continent to another at the speed of light.<ref>{{cite news |title=Agreements with private companies protect U.S. access to cables' data for surveillance |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 7, 2013 |author1=Craig Timberg |author2=Ellen Nakashima |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/agreements-with-private-companies-protect-us-access-to-cables-data-for-surveillance/2013/07/06/aa5d017a-df77-11e2-b2d4-ea6d8f477a01_story.html |access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindemann |first=Todd |title=A connected world |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 6, 2013 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/business/a-connected-world/305/ |access-date=February 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214190508/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/business/a-connected-world/305/ |archive-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref>
According to the Brazilian newspaper ''[[O Globo]]'', the NSA spied on millions of emails and calls of Brazilian citizens,<ref>[https://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/eua-espionaram-milhoes-de-mails-ligacoes-de-brasileiros-8940934 EUA espionaram milhões de e-mails e ligações de brasileiros], ''[[O Globo]]'', July 6, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/07/nsa-brazilians-globo-spying The NSA's mass and indiscriminate spying on Brazilians], [[Glenn Greenwald]], ''[[The Guardian]]'', July 7, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.</ref> while Australia and New Zealand have been involved in the joint operation of the NSA's global analytical system [[XKeyscore]].<ref name="Globo">[https://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/eua-expandem-aparato-de-vigilancia-continuamente-8941149 EUA expandem o aparato de vigilância continuamente], ''[[O Globo]]'', July 6, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.</ref><ref name="Philip Dorling">{{cite news |title=Snowden reveals Australia's links to US spy web |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |author=Philip Dorling |date=July 8, 2013 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/snowden-reveals-australias-links-to-us-spy-web-20130708-2plyg.html |access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> Among the numerous [[Western allies|allied]] facilities contributing to XKeyscore are four installations in Australia and one in New Zealand: * [[Pine Gap]] near [[Alice Springs]], Australia, which is partly operated by the U.S. [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA)<ref name="Philip Dorling"/> * The [[Shoal Bay Receiving Station]] near [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], Australia, is operated by the [[Australian Signals Directorate]] (ASD)<ref name="Philip Dorling"/> * The [[Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station]] near [[Geraldton]], Australia, is operated by the ASD<ref name="Philip Dorling"/> * [[HMAS Harman]] outside [[Canberra]], Australia, is operated by the ASD<ref name="Philip Dorling"/> * [[Waihopai Station]] near [[Blenheim, New Zealand]], is operated by New Zealand's [[Government Communications Security Bureau]] (GCSB)<ref name="Philip Dorling"/>
''[[O Globo]]'' released an NSA document titled "[[:File:NSA Primary FORNSAT Collections.jpg|Primary FORNSAT Collection Operations]]", which revealed the specific locations and codenames of the [[ECHELON|FORNSAT]] intercept stations in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaz |first=Roberto |title=NSA e CIA mantiveram em Brasília equipe para coleta de dados filtrados de satélite |work=[[O Globo]] |language=pt |date=July 8, 2013 |url=https://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/nsa-cia-mantiveram-em-brasilia-equipe-para-coleta-de-dados-filtrados-de-satelite-8949723 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
According to Edward Snowden, the NSA has established secret intelligence partnerships with many [[Western world|Western governments]].<ref name="Philip Dorling"/> The Foreign Affairs Directorate (FAD) of the NSA is responsible for these partnerships, which, according to Snowden, are organized such that foreign governments can "insulate their political leaders" from public outrage if these [[global surveillance]] partnerships are leaked.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with Whistleblower Edward Snowden on Global Spying |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 8, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-whistleblower-edward-snowden-on-global-spying-a-910006.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref>
In an interview published by ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', Snowden accused the NSA of being "in bed together with the Germans".<ref>{{cite news |title=Edward Snowden Accuses Germany of Aiding NSA in Spying Efforts |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 7, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/edward-snowden-accuses-germany-of-aiding-nsa-in-spying-efforts-a-909847.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> The NSA granted the German intelligence agencies [[Bundesnachrichtendienst|BND]] (foreign intelligence) and [[Bundesverfassungsschutz|BfV]] (domestic intelligence) access to its controversial [[XKeyscore]] system.<ref name="xKeyscoreGermany">[https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-agencies-used-nsa-spying-program-a-912173.html 'Prolific Partner': German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program], ''[[Der Spiegel]]''. Retrieved July 21, 2013.</ref> In return, the BND turned over copies of two systems named Mira4 and Veras, reported to exceed the NSA's SIGINT capabilities in certain areas.<ref name="spiegelsendnsa"/> Every day, massive amounts of metadata records are collected by the BND and transferred to the NSA via the [[Bad Aibling Station]] near [[Munich]], Germany.<ref name="spiegelsendnsa"/> In December 2012 alone, the BND handed over 500 million metadata records to the NSA.<ref name="WSJMetadata">{{cite news |title=German Intelligence Agency Providing NSA With Metadata – Report |author=Geiger, Friedrich |date=August 3, 2013 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130803-700914.html |access-date=August 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104111633/http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130803-700914.html |archive-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name=spiegelbnd500meta>{{cite web |title='Key Partners': Secret Links Between Germany and the NSA |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 22, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-intelligence-worked-closely-with-nsa-on-data-surveillance-a-912355-2.html |access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref>
In a document dated January 2013, the NSA acknowledged the efforts of the BND to undermine [[privacy law]]s:
{{blockquote|The [[Bundesnachrichtendienst|BND]] has been working to influence the German government to relax the interpretation of the privacy laws to provide greater opportunities for intelligence sharing.<ref name=spiegelbnd500meta/>}}
According to an NSA document dated April 2013, Germany has now become the NSA's "most prolific partner".<ref name=spiegelbnd500meta/> Under a section of a separate document leaked by Snowden titled "Success Stories", the NSA acknowledged the efforts of the German government to expand the BND's international data sharing with partners:
{{blockquote|The German government modifies its interpretation of the [[Gesetz zur Beschränkung des Brief-, Post- und Fernmeldegeheimnisses|G-10 privacy law]] ... to afford the BND more flexibility in sharing protected information with foreign partners.<ref name="bndspiegelxkeys1"/>}}
In addition, the German government was well aware of the PRISM surveillance program long before Edward Snowden made details public. According to Angela Merkel's spokesman [[Steffen Seibert]], there are two separate PRISM programs – one is used by the NSA and the other is used by [[NATO]] forces in [[Afghanistan]].<ref name="spiegelprismbnd">{{cite news |last=Matthias Gebauer |title=Prism in Afghanistan: Conflicting Accounts By German Government |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/a-911952.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> The two programs are "not identical".<ref name="spiegelprismbnd"/>
''[[The Guardian]]'' revealed further details of the NSA's [[XKeyscore]] tool, which allows government analysts to search through vast databases containing emails, online chats, and the browsing histories of millions of individuals without prior authorization.<ref name="Guardian1">[[Glenn Greenwald|Greenwald, Glenn]] (July 31, 2013).[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data "XKeyscore: NSA tool collects 'nearly everything a user does on the internet'"]. ''[[The Guardian]]''. Retrieved August 1, 2013.</ref><ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=Newly declassified documents on phone records program released |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 31, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/governments-secret-order-to-verizon-to-be-unveiled-at-senate-hearing/2013/07/31/233fdd3a-f9cf-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html |access-date=August 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Senate Panel Presses N.S.A. on Phone Logs |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 31, 2013 |author1=Charlie Savage|author1-link=Charlie Savage (author)|author2=[[David E. Sanger]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/01/us/nsa-surveillance.html |access-date=August 4, 2013}}</ref> Microsoft "developed a surveillance capability to deal" with the interception of encrypted chats on [[Outlook.com]], within five months after the service went into testing. NSA had access to Outlook.com emails because "Prism collects this data before encryption."<ref name="guardian130711">{{cite news |author1=[[Glenn Greenwald]] |author2=Ewen MacAskill |author3=[[Laura Poitras]] |author4=[[Spencer Ackerman]] |author5=Dominic Rushe |title=Revealed: how Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 11, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data |access-date=July 11, 2013}}</ref>
In addition, Microsoft worked with the FBI to enable the NSA to gain access to its [[cloud storage service]] [[OneDrive|SkyDrive]]. An internal NSA document dating from August 3, 2012, described the PRISM surveillance program as a "[[team sport]]".<ref name="guardian130711"/> The [[CIA]]'s [[National Counterterrorism Center]] is allowed to examine federal government files for possible criminal behavior, even if there is no reason to suspect U.S. citizens of wrongdoing. Previously, the NCTC was barred from doing so unless a person was a terror suspect or related to an investigation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Angwin |first=Julia |author-link=Julia Angwin |title=U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=December 13, 2012 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324108204579025222244858490 |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref>
Snowden also confirmed that [[Stuxnet]] was cooperatively developed by the United States and Israel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Snowden: US and Israel ''did'' create Stuxnet attack code |author=Iain Thomson |work=The Register |date=July 8, 2013 |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/snowden_us_israel_stuxnet/ |access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> In a report unrelated to Edward Snowden, the French newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' revealed that France's [[DGSE]] was also undertaking mass surveillance, which it described as "illegal and outside any serious control".<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2013/07/04/revelations-sur-le-big-brother-francais_3441631_3224.html Révélations sur le Big Brother français] [https://democratie-reelle-nimes.over-blog.com/article-revelations-sur-le-big-brother-fran-ais-la-totalite-de-nos-communications-sont-espionnees-mails-118897483.html (2)], ''[[Le Monde]]'', July 4, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/04/france-electronic-spying-operation-nsa France 'runs vast electronic spying operation using NSA-style methods'], ''[[The Guardian]]'', July 4, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.</ref>
{{Clear}}
====August==== Documents leaked by Edward Snowden that were seen by ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'' (SZ) and ''[[Norddeutscher Rundfunk]]'' revealed that several [[Telecommunication|telecom]] operators have played a key role in helping the British intelligence agency [[Government Communications Headquarters]] (GCHQ) tap into worldwide [[fiber-optic communication]]s. The telecom operators are: * [[Verizon Business]] (codenamed "Dacron")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche">{{cite web |author1=John Goetz |author2=Frederik Obermaier |title=Snowden enthüllt Namen der spähenden Telekomfirmen |work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]] |date=August 2, 2013 |language=de |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/digital/internet-ueberwachung-snowden-enthuellt-namen-der-spaehenden-telekomfirmen-1.1736791 |access-date=August 2, 2013 |quote=In den internen Papieren des GCHQ aus dem Jahr 2009 stehen sie nun aufgelistet: Verizon Business, Codename: Dacron, British Telecommunications (codenamed "Remedy"), Vodafone Cable ("Gerontic"), Global Crossing ("Pinnage"), Level 3 (codenamed "Little"), Viatel ("Vitreous") und Interoute ("Streetcar").}}</ref> * [[British Telecommunications|BT]] (codenamed "Remedy")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/> * [[Vodafone|Vodafone Cable]] (codenamed "Gerontic")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/> * [[Global Crossing]] (codenamed "Pinnage")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/> * [[Level 3 Communications|Level 3]] (codenamed "Little")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/> * [[Viatel]] (codenamed "Vitreous")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/> * [[Interoute]] (codenamed "Streetcar")<ref name=gtbp/><ref name="Süddeutsche"/>
Each of them was assigned a particular area of the international [[fiber-optic communication|fiber-optic network]] for which they were individually responsible. The following networks have been infiltrated by GCHQ: [[TAT-14]] (EU-UK-US), [[Atlantic Crossing 1]] (EU-UK-US), [[Circe (cable system)|Circe South]] (France-UK), [[Circe (cable system)|Circe North]] (Netherlands-UK), [[Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe#Segment FLAG Atlantic 1 (FA-1)|Flag Atlantic-1]], [[Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe#Segment FLAG Europe Asia (FEA)|Flag Europa-Asia]], [[SEA-ME-WE 3]] (Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe), [[SEA-ME-WE 4]] (Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe), Solas (Ireland-UK), UK-France 3, UK-Netherlands 14, [[ULYSSES (cable system)|ULYSSES]] (EU-UK), [[AC-2|Yellow]] (UK-US) and [[PEC (cable system)|Pan European Crossing]] (EU-UK).<ref name="SZAug28">{{cite news |title=British Officials Have Far-Reaching Access To Internet And Telephone Communications |author1=John Goetz |author2=Hans Leyendecker |author3=Frederik Obermaier |work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]] |date=August 28, 2013 |url=http://international.sueddeutsche.de/post/59603415442/british-officials-have-far-reaching-access-to-internet |access-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref>
Telecommunication companies that participated were "forced" to do so and had "no choice in the matter".<ref name=SZAug28/> Some of the companies were subsequently paid by GCHQ for their participation in the infiltration of the cables.<ref name="SZAug28"/> According to the SZ, GCHQ has access to the majority of internet and telephone communications flowing throughout Europe, can listen to phone calls, read emails and text messages, and see which websites internet users from all around the world are visiting. It can also retain and analyse nearly the entire European internet traffic.<ref name="SZAug28"/>
GCHQ is collecting all data transmitted to and from the United Kingdom and Northern Europe via the undersea fibre optic telecommunications cable [[SEA-ME-WE 3]]. The [[Security and Intelligence Division]] (SID) of Singapore cooperates with Australia in accessing and sharing communications carried by the SEA-ME-WE-3 cable. The [[Australian Signals Directorate]] (ASD) is also in a partnership with British, American, and Singaporean intelligence agencies to tap undersea fibre optic telecommunications cables that link Asia, the Middle East, and Europe and carry much of Australia's international phone and internet traffic.<ref name="smhaug28">{{cite news |last=Dorling |first=Philip |title=Australian spies in global deal to tap undersea cables |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australian-spies-in-global-deal-to-tap-undersea-cables-20130828-2sr58.html |access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref>
The U.S. runs a top-secret surveillance program known as the [[Special Collection Service]] (SCS), which is based in over 80 U.S. consulates and embassies worldwide.<ref name="reutersspiegelun">{{cite news |title=U.S. spy agency bugged U.N. headquarters: Germany's Spiegel |work=[[Reuters]] |date=August 25, 2013 |last=Chambers |first=Madeline |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-nsa-un-idUSBRE97O0DD20130825 |access-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name="unnewyork">{{cite news |title=US-Geheimdienst hörte Zentrale der Vereinten Nationen ab |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 25, 2013 |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/nsa-hoerte-zentrale-der-vereinte-nationen-in-new-york-ab-a-918421.html |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref> The NSA hacked the United Nations' video conferencing system in Summer 2012 in violation of a UN agreement.<ref name="reutersspiegelun"/><ref name="unnewyork"/>
The NSA is not just intercepting the communications of Americans who are in direct contact with foreigners targeted overseas, but also searching the contents of vast amounts of e-mail and text communications into and out of the country by Americans who mention information about foreigners under surveillance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|title=N.S.A. Said to Search Content of Messages to and From U.S. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 8, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/us/broader-sifting-of-data-abroad-is-seen-by-nsa.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=September 30, 2013}}</ref> It also spied on [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] and gained access to its internal communications systems.<ref>{{cite news |title=Snowden Document: NSA Spied On Al Jazeera Communications |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 31, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-spied-on-al-jazeera-communications-snowden-document-a-919681.html |access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
The NSA has built a surveillance network that has the capacity to reach roughly 75% of all U.S. Internet traffic.<ref name="WSJ20130821">{{cite news |title=New Details Show Broader NSA Surveillance Reach – Programs Cover 75% of Nation's Traffic, Can Snare Emails |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 20, 2013 |author1=Siobhan Gorman |author2=Jennifer Valentiono-Devries |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324108204579022874091732470 |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Graphic: How the NSA Scours Internet Traffic in the U.S. |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 20, 2013 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324108204579022874091732470#project%3DNSA0820%26articleTabs%3Dinteractive |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=What You Need to Know on New Details of NSA Spying |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 20, 2013 |author1=Jennifer Valentiono-Devries |author2=Siobhan Gorman |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324108204579025222244858490 |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> U.S. Law-enforcement agencies use tools used by computer hackers to gather information on suspects.<ref>{{cite news |title=FBI Taps Hacker Tactics to Spy on Suspects |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 1, 2013 |author1=Jennifer Valentino-Devries |author2=Danny Yadron |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323997004578641993388259674 |access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How the FBI Hacks Criminal Suspects |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 1, 2013 |author1=Jennifer Valentino-DeVries |author2=Danny Yadron |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/08/01/how-the-fbi-hacks-criminal-suspects/ |access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref> An internal NSA audit from May 2012 identified 2776 incidents i.e. violations of the rules or court orders for surveillance of Americans and foreign targets in the U.S. in the period from April 2011 through March 2012, while U.S. officials stressed that any mistakes are not intentional.<ref name="WaPo5">{{cite news |title=NSA report on privacy violations in the first quarter of 2012 |date=August 16, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/nsa-report-on-privacy-violations-in-the-first-quarter-of-2012/395/ |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130816202133/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/nsa-report-on-privacy-violations-in-the-first-quarter-of-2012/395/ |archive-date=August 16, 2013}}</ref><ref name="WP20130816FISACourtviolation">{{cite news |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Matt DeLong |title=First direct evidence of illegal surveillance found by the FISA court |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 15, 2013 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/first-direct-evidence-of-illegal-surveillance-found-by-the-fisa-court/393/ |access-date=August 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827004802/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/first-direct-evidence-of-illegal-surveillance-found-by-the-fisa-court/393/ |archive-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=Lawmakers, privacy advocates call for reforms at NSA |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 16, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/lawmakers-privacy-advocates-call-for-reforms-at-nsa/2013/08/16/7cccb772-0692-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Matt DeLong |title=What's a 'violation'? |date=August 15, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/whats-a-violation/391/ |access-date=August 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827005414/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/whats-a-violation/391/ |archive-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref>
The FISA Court that is supposed to provide critical oversight of the U.S. government's vast spying programs has limited ability to do so and it must trust the government to report when it improperly spies on Americans.<ref>{{cite news |last=Leonnig |first=Carol D. |title=Court: Ability to police U.S. spying program limited |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 16, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/court-ability-to-police-us-spying-program-limited/2013/08/15/4a8c8c44-05cd-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref> A legal opinion declassified on August 21, 2013, revealed that the NSA intercepted for three years as many as 56,000 electronic communications a year of Americans not suspected of having links to terrorism, before a FISA court that oversees surveillance found the operation unconstitutional in 2011.<ref name="Nakashima">{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=NSA gathered thousands of Americans' e-mails before court ordered it to revise its tactics |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 21, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-gathered-thousands-of-americans-e-mails-before-court-struck-down-program/2013/08/21/146ba4b6-0a90-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref><ref name="apps.washingtonpost.com">{{cite news |title=FISA court ruling on illegal NSA e-mail collection program |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 21, 2013 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/fisa-court-documents-on-illegal-nsa-e-mail-collection-program/409/ |access-date=September 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005020741/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/fisa-court-documents-on-illegal-nsa-e-mail-collection-program/409/ |archive-date=October 5, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Charlie Savage and Scott Shane">{{cite news |title=Secret Court Rebuked N.S.A. on Surveillance |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 21, 2013 |author1=Charlie Savage|author1-link=Charlie Savage (author)|author2=[[Scott Shane]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/us/2011-ruling-found-an-nsa-program-unconstitutional.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Mark Hosenball and Tabassum Zakaria">{{cite news |title=NSA collected 56,000 emails by Americans a year: documents |agency=[[Reuters]] |work=[[NBC News]] |author1=Mark Hosenball |author2=Tabassum Zakaria |date=August 22, 2013 |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/nsa-collected-56-000-emails-americans-year-documents-6C10975688 |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> Under the Corporate Partner Access project, major U.S. telecommunications providers receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the NSA.<ref name="blarnetwapo">{{cite news |title=NSA paying U.S. companies for access to communications networks |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 30, 2013 |author1=Craig Timberg |author2=Barton Gellman |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-paying-us-companies-for-access-to-communications-networks/2013/08/29/5641a4b6-10c2-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html |access-date=August 31, 2013}}</ref> Voluntary cooperation between the NSA and the providers of global communications took off during the 1970s under the cover name [[Blarney (code name)|BLARNEY]].<ref name="blarnetwapo"/>
A letter drafted by the Obama administration specifically to inform Congress of the government's mass collection of Americans' telephone communications data was withheld from lawmakers by leaders of the House Intelligence Committee in the months before a key vote affecting the future of the program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wallsten |first=Peter |title=House panel withheld document on NSA surveillance program from members |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 17, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-panel-withheld-document-on-nsa-surveillance-program-from-members/2013/08/16/944e728e-0672-11e3-9259-e2aafe5a5f84_story.html |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Weich |first=Ronald |title=Report of the National Security Agency's Bulk Collection Programs for USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization |work=Office of the Assistant Attorney General |publisher=Director of National Intelligence |url=http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/2011_CoverLetters_Report_Collection.pdf |access-date=August 25, 2013}}</ref>
The NSA paid GCHQ over £100 million between 2009 and 2012; in exchange for these funds, GCHQ "must pull its weight and be seen to pull its weight." Documents referenced in the article explain that the weaker British laws regarding spying are "a selling point" for the NSA. GCHQ is also developing the technology to "exploit any mobile phone at any time."<ref name="GCHQpay">{{cite news |title=Exclusive: NSA pays £100m in secret funding for GCHQ |author1=James Ball |author2=Luke Harding |author3=Juliette Garside |date=August 1, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/01/nsa-paid-gchq-spying-edward-snowden |access-date=August 2, 2013}}</ref> The NSA has under a legal authority a secret backdoor into its databases gathered from large Internet companies enabling it to search for U.S. citizens' email and phone calls without a warrant.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA loophole allows warrantless search for US citizens' emails and phone calls – Exclusive: Spy agency has secret backdoor permission to search databases for individual Americans' communications |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 9, 2013 |author=James Ball and [[Spencer Ackerman]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/nsa-loophole-warrantless-searches-email-calls |access-date=August 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |title=New leak: NSA can search US e-mail data but theoretically won't |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=August 10, 2013 |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/new-leak-nsa-can-search-us-e-mail-data-but-theoretically-isnt-allowed-to |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref>
The [[Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board]] urged the U.S. intelligence chiefs to draft stronger US surveillance guidelines on domestic spying after finding that several of those guidelines have not been updated up to 30 years.<ref>{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Dan |title=US surveillance guidelines not updated for 30 years, privacy board finds – Privacy watchdog points out in letter to intelligence chiefs that rules designed to protect Americans are severely outdated |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/us-surveillance-rules-30-years |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Medine |first=David |title=2013-08-22 Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper |publisher=Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board |date=August 22, 2013 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/778168/pclob-guidelines-letter-1.pdf |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> U.S. intelligence analysts have deliberately broken rules designed to prevent them from spying on Americans by choosing to ignore so-called "minimisation procedures" aimed at protecting privacy<ref>{{cite news |last=Strohm |first=Chris |title=Lawmakers Probe Willful Abuses of Power by NSA Analysts |publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |date=August 24, 2013 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-23/nsa-analysts-intentionally-abused-spying-powers-multiple-times.html |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Dan |title=NSA analysts deliberately broke rules to spy on Americans, agency reveals – Inspector general's admission undermines fresh insistences from president that breaches of privacy rules were inadvertent |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-analysts-broke-rules-spy |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> and used the NSA agency's enormous eavesdropping power to spy on love interests.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gorman |first=Siobhan |title=NSA Officers Spy on Love Interests |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/08/23/nsa-officers-sometimes-spy-on-love-interests/ |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref>
After the U.S. [[United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court|Foreign Secret Intelligence Court]] ruled in October 2011 that some of the NSA's activities were unconstitutional, the agency paid millions of dollars to major internet companies to cover extra costs incurred in their involvement with the PRISM surveillance program.<ref>{{cite news |last=MacAskill |first=Ewen |title=NSA paid millions to cover Prism compliance costs for tech companies • Top-secret files show first evidence of financial relationship • Prism companies include Google and Yahoo, says NSA • Costs were incurred after 2011 Fisa court ruling |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid |access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> "[[Mastering the Internet]]" (MTI) is part of the [[Interception Modernisation Programme]] (IMP) of the British government that involves the insertion of thousands of DPI ([[deep packet inspection]]) "black boxes" at various [[internet service provider]]s, as revealed by the British media in 2009.<ref name="times1a">{{cite news |title=Jacqui Smith's secret plan to carry on snooping |author1=David Leppard |author2=Chris Williams |work=The Sunday Times |date=May 3, 2009 |location=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211101.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106082536/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211101.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=May 3, 2009}}</ref>
In 2013, it was further revealed that the NSA had made a £17.2 million financial contribution to the project, which is capable of vacuuming signals from up to 200 fibre-optic cables at all physical points of entry into Great Britain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Henry Porter |title=GCHQ revelations: mastery of the internet will mean mastery of everyone |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 21, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/21/gchq-mastery-internet-mastery-everyone |access-date=October 19, 2013}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
====September==== The ''Guardian'' and ''The New York Times'' reported on secret documents leaked by Snowden showing that the NSA has been in "collaboration with technology companies" as part of "an aggressive, multipronged effort" to weaken the [[encryption]] used in commercial software, and GCHQ has a team dedicated to cracking "Hotmail, Google, Yahoo and Facebook" traffic.{{refn|<ref name="guardian-bullrun">{{cite news |title=US and UK spy agencies defeat privacy and security on the internet |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 5, 2013 |author1=James Ball |author2=Julian Borger |author3=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security |access-date=September 5, 2013}}</ref><ref name="nyt-bullrun">{{cite news |title=N.S.A. Foils Much Internet Encryption |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 5, 2013 |author1=Nicole Perlroth |author2=Jeff Larson |author3=[[Scott Shane]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/us/nsa-foils-much-internet-encryption.html |access-date=September 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Secret Documents Reveal N.S.A. Campaign Against Encryption |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 5, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/05/us/documents-reveal-nsa-campaign-against-encryption.html |access-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Unlocking Private Communications |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 5, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/05/us/unlocking-private-communications.html |access-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name="propublica-bullrun">{{cite news |title=The NSA's Secret Campaign to Crack, Undermine Internet Security |date=September 5, 2013 |work=[[ProPublica]] |author1=Perlroth, Nicole |author2=Larson, Jeff |author3=Shane, Scott |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/the-nsas-secret-campaign-to-crack-undermine-internet-encryption}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=NSA has made strides in thwarting encryption used to protect Internet communication |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 6, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-has-made-strides-in-thwarting-encryption-used-to-protect-internet-communication/2013/09/05/0ec08efc-1669-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html |access-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref>}}
Germany's domestic security agency [[Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution|Bundesverfassungsschutz]] (BfV) systematically transfers the personal data of German residents to the NSA, CIA, and seven other members of the [[United States Intelligence Community]], in exchange for information and espionage software.<ref>{{cite web |title=Verfassungsschutz spionierte für Geheimdienste – Bundesamt-Chef Maaßen stimmte zu |publisher=Norddeutscher Rundfunk |language=de |date=September 13, 2013 |url=http://www.ndr.de/unternehmen/presse/pressemitteilungen/pressemeldungndr13009.html |access-date=September 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106095914/http://www.ndr.de/unternehmen/presse/pressemitteilungen/pressemeldungndr13009.html |archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Verfassungsschutz beliefert NSA |newspaper=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=September 13, 2013 |language=de |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/spionage-in-deutschland-verfassungsschutz-beliefert-nsa-1.1770672 |access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Auch Verfassungsschutz liefert Daten an NSA "Süddeutsche Zeitung" und NDR berichten über intensiven Datenaustausch |publisher=Deutschland Radio |language=de |date=September 13, 2013 |url=http://www.dradio.de/aktuell/2250771/ |access-date=September 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120220601/http://www.dradio.de/aktuell/2250771/ |archive-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref> Israel, Sweden and Italy are also cooperating with American and British intelligence agencies. Under a secret treaty codenamed "[[Lustre (code name)|Lustre]]", French intelligence agencies transferred millions of metadata records to the NSA.<ref name="lemonde1"/><ref name="leparis"/><ref name="numera">{{cite web |last=Guillaume Champeau |title=Lustre : la France aurait coopéré avec la NSA |publisher=[[Numerama]] |language=fr |date=October 28, 2013 |url=http://www.numerama.com/magazine/27347-lustre-la-france-aurait-coopere-avec-la-nsa.html |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref><ref name="zdnet">{{cite news |title=Espionnage : la France perd son Lustre |language=fr |work=[[ZDNet]] |date=October 28, 2013 |url=https://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/espionnage-la-france-perd-son-lustre-39795120.htm |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref>
The Obama Administration secretly won permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2011 to reverse restrictions on the National Security Agency's use of intercepted phone calls and e-mails, permitting the agency to search deliberately for Americans' communications in its massive databases. The searches take place under a surveillance program Congress authorized in 2008 under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Under that law, the target must be a foreigner "reasonably believed" to be outside the United States, and the court must approve the targeting procedures in an order good for one year. But a warrant for each target would thus no longer be required. That means that communications with Americans could be picked up without a court first determining that there is probable cause that the people they were talking to were terrorists, spies, or "foreign powers." The FISC extended the length of time that the NSA is allowed to retain intercepted U.S. communications from five years to six years, with an extension possible for foreign intelligence or counterintelligence purposes. Both measures were done without public debate or any specific authority from Congress.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=Obama administration had restrictions on NSA reversed in 2011 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 8, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-had-restrictions-on-nsa-reversed-in-2011/2013/09/07/c26ef658-0fe5-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_print.html |access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>
A special branch of the NSA called "Follow the Money" (FTM) monitors international payments, banking and credit card transactions and later stores the collected data in the NSA's own financial databank "Tracfin".<ref>{{cite news |title='Follow the Money': NSA Spies on International Payments |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=September 15, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/spiegel-exclusive-nsa-spies-on-international-bank-transactions-a-922276.html |access-date=September 24, 2013}}</ref> The NSA monitored the communications of Brazil's president [[Dilma Rousseff]] and her top aides.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |title=Brazil Angered Over Report N.S.A. Spied on President |work=[[The New York Times]] |last1=Romero |first1=Simon|author1-link=Simon Romero|last2=Archibold |first2=Randal C.|author2-link=Randal C. Archibold|date=September 2, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/world/americas/brazil-angered-over-report-nsa-spied-on-president.html |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> The agency also spied on Brazil's oil firm [[Petrobras]] as well as French diplomats, and gained access to the private network of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France]] and the [[Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication|SWIFT]] network.<ref>{{cite web |title=NSA Documents Show United States Spied Brazilian Oil Giant |work=Jornal da Globo Fantástico |date=September 8, 2013 |url=https://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/09/nsa-documents-show-united-states-spied-brazilian-oil-giant.html |access-date=September 24, 2013}}</ref>
In the United States, the NSA uses the analysis of phone calls and e-mail logs of American citizens to create sophisticated graphs of their social connections that can identify their associates, their locations at certain times, their traveling companions, and other personal information.<ref>{{cite news |title=N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens |author1=[[James Risen]]|author2=Laura Poitras |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 28, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/nsa-examines-social-networks-of-us-citizens.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=September 30, 2013}}</ref> The NSA routinely shares raw intelligence data with Israel without first sifting it to remove information about U.S. citizens.<ref name="israelnsa1"/><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA and Israeli intelligence: memorandum of understanding – full document |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 11, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/sep/11/nsa-israel-intelligence-memorandum-understanding-document |access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref>
In an effort codenamed GENIE, computer specialists can control foreign computer networks using "covert implants," a form of remotely transmitted malware on tens of thousands of devices annually.<ref>{{cite news |title=Secret documents detail U.S. war in cyberspace |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] (via The Japan Times) |author=Barton Gellman |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/31/world/secret-documents-detail-u-s-war-in-cyberspace |access-date=September 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. spy agencies mounted 231 offensive cyber-operations in 2011, documents show |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 31, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Ellen Nakashima |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-spy-agencies-mounted-231-offensive-cyber-operations-in-2011-documents-show/2013/08/30/d090a6ae-119e-11e3-b4cb-fd7ce041d814_story.html |access-date=August 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cyber-Angriffe: USA infizieren Zehntausende Computer mit NSA-Trojanern |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 31, 2013 |author=Konrad Lischka und Julia Stanek |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/genie-programm-usa-infizierten-zehntausende-rechner-a-919625.html |access-date=August 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zetter |first=Kim |title=NSA Laughs at PCs, Prefers Hacking Routers and Switches |website=Wired.com |date=September 4, 2013 |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/nsa-router-hacking/ |access-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> As worldwide sales of [[smartphone]]s began exceeding those of [[feature phone]]s, the NSA decided to take advantage of the smartphone boom. This is particularly advantageous because the smartphone combines a [[myriad]] of data that would interest an intelligence agency, such as social contacts, user behavior, interests, location, photos, and credit card numbers and passwords.<ref name="spiegel201399"/>
An internal NSA report from 2010 stated that the spread of the smartphone has been occurring "extremely rapidly"—developments that "certainly complicate traditional target analysis."<ref name="spiegel201399">{{cite news |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title=iSpy: How the NSA Accesses Smartphone Data |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=September 9, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/how-the-nsa-spies-on-smartphones-including-the-blackberry-a-921161.html |access-date=September 9, 2013}}</ref> According to the document, the NSA has set up [[task force]]s assigned to several smartphone manufacturers and [[operating system]]s, including [[Apple Inc.]]'s [[iPhone]] and [[iOS]] operating system, as well as [[Google]]'s [[Android (operating system)|Android]] mobile operating system.<ref name="spiegel201399"/> Similarly, Britain's [[GCHQ]] assigned a team to study and crack the [[BlackBerry]].<ref name="spiegel201399"/> [[File:NSA BlackBerry intercept.jpg|thumb|An NSA presentation called "Your target is using a BlackBerry? Now what?" shows an intercepted Mexican government e-mail.]]
Under the heading "iPhone capability", the document notes that there are smaller NSA programs, known as "scripts", that can perform surveillance on 38 different features of the [[iOS 3]] and [[iOS 4]] operating systems. These include the [[map]]ping feature, [[voicemail]] and photos, as well as [[Google Earth]], Facebook and [[Yahoo! Messenger]].<ref name="spiegel201399"/>
On September 9, 2013, an internal NSA presentation on iPhone Location Services was published by ''[[Der Spiegel]]''. One slide shows scenes from Apple's [[1984 (advertisement)|''1984''-themed television commercial]] alongside the words "Who knew in 1984..."; another shows Steve Jobs holding an iPhone, with the text "...that this would be big brother..."; and a third shows happy consumers with their iPhones, completing the question with "...and the zombies would be paying customers?"<ref name="spiegel1984">{{cite news |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title=Photo Gallery: Spying on Smartphones |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=September 9, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/photo-gallery-spying-on-smartphones-fotostrecke-101201.html |access-date=September 9, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127023350/http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/photo-gallery-spying-on-smartphones-fotostrecke-101201.html |archive-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref>
====October==== On October 4, 2013, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and ''[[The Guardian]]'' jointly reported that the NSA and GCHQ had made repeated attempts to spy on anonymous Internet users who have been communicating in secret via the anonymity network [[Tor (anonymity network)|Tor]]. Several of these surveillance operations involved the implantation of malicious code into the computers of Tor users who visit particular websites. The NSA and GCHQ had partly succeeded in blocking access to the anonymous network, diverting Tor users to insecure channels. The government agencies were also able to uncover the identity of some anonymous Internet users.<ref>{{cite news |title=Secret NSA documents show campaign against Tor encrypted network |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 4, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Craig Timberg |author3=Steven Rich |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/secret-nsa-documents-show-campaign-against-tor-encrypted-network/2013/10/04/610f08b6-2d05-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html |access-date=November 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=GCHQ report on 'MULLENIZE' program to 'stain' anonymous electronic traffic |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 4, 2013 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/gchq-report-on-mullenize-program-to-stain-anonymous-electronic-traffic/502/ |access-date=November 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202233236/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/gchq-report-on-mullenize-program-to-stain-anonymous-electronic-traffic/502/ |archive-date=December 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schneier |first=Bruce |title=Attacking Tor: how the NSA targets users' online anonymity |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 4, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/tor-attacks-nsa-users-online-anonymity |access-date=November 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Tor: 'The king of high-secure, low-latency anonymity' |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 4, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/oct/04/tor-high-secure-internet-anonymity |access-date=November 19, 2013}}</ref>
The [[Communications Security Establishment]] (CSE) has been using a program called Olympia to map the communications of Brazil's [[Ministry of Mines and Energy (Brazil)|Mines and Energy Ministry]] by targeting the metadata of phone calls and emails to and from the ministry.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ministério de Minas e Energia está na mira de espiões americanos e canadenses |newspaper=O Globo |date=October 6, 2013 |url=https://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/10/ministerio-das-minas-e-energia-esta-na-mira-de-espioes-americanos-e-canadenses.html |access-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Report: Canada spies targeted Brazil mine ministry |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=October 6, 2013 |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/report-canada-spies-targeted-brazil-mine-ministry |access-date=October 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010084202/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/report-canada-spies-targeted-brazil-mine-ministry |archive-date=October 10, 2013}}</ref>
The Australian Federal Government knew about the PRISM surveillance program months before Edward Snowden made details public.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ockenden |first=Will |title=Australia prepared briefing on US global internet spying program PRISM before Snowden revelations |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |date=October 8, 2013 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-08/australia-prepared-briefing-on-prism-spying-program/5004290 |access-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AG Department Prism FOI PDF |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=June 27, 2013 |url=http://de.scribd.com/doc/174279481/ag-department-prism-foi-pdf |access-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref>
The NSA gathered hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world. The agency did not target individuals. Instead it collected contact lists in large numbers that amount to a sizable fraction of the world's e-mail and instant messaging accounts. Analysis of that data enables the agency to search for hidden connections and to map relationships within a much smaller universe of foreign intelligence targets.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA collects millions of e-mail address books globally |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 15, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Ashkan Soltani |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-collects-millions-of-e-mail-address-books-globally/2013/10/14/8e58b5be-34f9-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story.html |access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The NSA's problem? Too much data. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 15, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Matt DeLong |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/the-nsas-overcollection-problem/517/ |access-date=February 12, 2014 |archive-date=February 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214220258/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/the-nsas-overcollection-problem/517/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SCISSORS: How the NSA collects less data |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 15, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Matt DeLong |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/how-the-nsa-tried-to-collect-less/518/ |access-date=February 12, 2014 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212638/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/how-the-nsa-tried-to-collect-less/518/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=An excerpt from the NSA's Wikipedia |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 15, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Matt DeLong |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/an-excerpt-from-intellipedia/519/ |access-date=February 12, 2014 |archive-date=February 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216081712/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/an-excerpt-from-intellipedia/519/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The NSA monitored the public email account of former Ex-Mexican president [[Felipe Calderón]] (thus gaining access to the communications of high-ranking cabinet members), the emails of several high-ranking members of Mexico's security forces and text and the mobile phone communication of Ex-Mexican president [[Enrique Peña Nieto]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Fresh Leak on US Spying: NSA Accessed Mexican President's Email |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 20, 2013 |author1=Jens Glüsing |author2=Laura Poitras |author3=Marcel Rosenbach |author4=Holger Stark |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-hacked-email-account-of-mexican-president-a-928817.html |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA-Spionage: Mexiko fordert Aufklärung über US-Bespitzelungen |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 21, 2013 |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/nsa-spionage-mexiko-fordert-aufklaerung-ueber-us-bespitzelungen-a-928946.html |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> The NSA tries to gather cellular and landline phone numbers—often obtained from American diplomats—for as many foreign officials as possible. The contents of the phone calls are stored in computer databases that can regularly be searched using keywords.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tap on Merkel Provides Peek at Vast Spy Net |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 30, 2013 |author1=[[Mark Mazzetti]]|author2=[[David E. Sanger]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/world/europe/tap-on-merkel-provides-peek-at-vast-spy-net.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Spying Known at Top Levels, Officials Say |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 30, 2013 |author1=[[Mark Landler]]|author2=[[Michael S. Schmidt]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/30/world/officials-say-white-house-knew-of-spying.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref>
The NSA has been monitoring telephone conversations of 35 world leaders.<ref name="Guardian20131024"/> The U.S. government's first public acknowledgment that it tapped the phones of world leaders was reported on October 28, 2013, by the Wall Street Journal after an internal U.S. government review turned up NSA monitoring of some 35 world leaders.<ref name="WSJ20131028"/> [[GCHQ]] has tried to keep its mass surveillance program a secret because it feared a "damaging public debate" on the scale of its activities which could lead to legal challenges against them.<ref name="Tempora20131025">{{cite news |last=Ball |first=James |title=Leaked memos reveal GCHQ efforts to keep mass surveillance secret |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 25, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/25/leaked-memos-gchq-mass-surveillance-secret-snowden |access-date=October 25, 2013}}</ref>
''The Guardian'' revealed that the NSA had been monitoring telephone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another U.S. government department. A confidential memo revealed that the NSA encouraged senior officials in such Departments as the [[White House]], [[United States Department of State|State]], and [[The Pentagon]], to share their "Rolodexes" so the agency could add the telephone numbers of leading foreign politicians to their surveillance systems. Reacting to the news, German leader [[Angela Merkel]], arriving in [[Brussels]] for an [[EU summit]], accused the U.S. of a breach of trust, saying: "We need to have trust in our allies and partners, and this must now be established once again. I repeat that spying among friends is not at all acceptable against anyone, and that goes for every citizen in Germany."<ref name="Guardian20131024">{{cite news |last=Ball |first=James |title=NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders after US official handed over contacts |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 24, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/nsa-surveillance-world-leaders-calls |access-date=October 24, 2013}}</ref> The NSA collected in 2010 data on ordinary Americans' cellphone locations, but later discontinued it because it had no "operational value."<ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=NSA had test project to collect data on Americans' cellphone locations, director says |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 2, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-had-test-project-to-collect-data-on-americans-cellphone-locations-director-says/2013/10/02/65076278-2b71-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref>
Under Britain's [[Muscular (surveillance program)|MUSCULAR]] programme, the NSA and GCHQ have secretly broken into the main communications links that connect [[Yahoo]] and [[Google]] [[data center]]s around the world and thereby gained the ability to collect metadata and [[computer file|content]] at will from hundreds of millions of user accounts.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 30, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Ashkan Soltani |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-infiltrates-links-to-yahoo-google-data-centers-worldwide-snowden-documents-say/2013/10/30/e51d661e-4166-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How the NSA is infiltrating private networks |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 30, 2013 |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Todd Lindeman |author3=Ashkan Soltani |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/the-nsa-is-hacking-private-networks/542/ |access-date=October 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031015139/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/the-nsa-is-hacking-private-networks/542/ |archive-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Peterson |first=Andrea |title=PRISM already gave the NSA access to tech giants. Here's why it wanted more. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 30, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/30/prism-already-gave-the-nsa-access-to-tech-giants-heres-why-it-wanted-more/ |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA statement on Washington Post report on infiltration of Google, Yahoo data center links |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 30, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-statement-on-washington-post-report-on-infiltration-of-google-yahoo-data-center-links/2013/10/30/5c135254-41b4-11e3-a624-41d661b0bb78_story.html |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref>
The mobile phone of German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] might have been tapped by U.S. intelligence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Berlin Complains: Did US Tap Chancellor Merkel's Mobile Phone? |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 23, 2013 |author1=Jacob Appelbaum |author2=Holger Stark |author3=Marcel Rosenbach |author4=Jörg Schindler |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/merkel-calls-obama-over-suspicions-us-tapped-her-mobile-phone-a-929642.html |access-date=October 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Out of Hand': Europe Furious Over US Spying Allegations |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 24, 2013 |author1=Charly Wilder |author2=Rupert Neat |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/angry-european-and-german-reactions-to-merkel-us-phone-spying-scandal-a-929725.html |access-date=October 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ball |first=James |title=NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders after US official handed over contacts |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 25, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/nsa-surveillance-world-leaders-calls |access-date=October 25, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Spiegel20131027"/> According to the Spiegel this monitoring goes back to 2002<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA-Überwachung: Merkels Handy steht seit 2002 auf US-Abhörliste |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 26, 2012 |language=de |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nsa-ueberwachung-merkel-steht-seit-2002-auf-us-abhoerliste-a-930193.html |access-date=October 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Obama: Had I known NSA tapped Merkel's cell, I would have stopped it, German media reports |newspaper=Haaretz |date=October 26, 2015 |author=Ofer Aderet |url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.554526 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026224034/http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.554526 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2013 |access-date=October 26, 2013}}</ref> and ended in the summer of 2013,<ref name="WSJ20131028">{{cite news |title=Obama Unaware as U.S. Spied on World Leaders: Officials |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=October 28, 2013 |author1=Siobhan Gorhan |author2=Adam Entous |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579162110180138036 |access-date=October 28, 2013}}</ref> while ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that Germany has evidence that the NSA's surveillance of Merkel began during [[George W. Bush]]'s tenure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Allegation of U.S. Spying on Merkel Puts Obama at Crossroads |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 24, 2013 |author1=[[David E. Sanger]]|author2=[[Mark Mazzetti]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/world/europe/allegation-of-us-spying-on-merkel-puts-obama-at-crossroads.html |access-date=October 26, 2013}}</ref> After learning from ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' magazine that the NSA has been listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel compared the snooping practices of the NSA with those of the [[Stasi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 17, 2013 |author1=Ian Traynor |author2=Paul Lewis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/17/merkel-compares-nsa-stasi-obama |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> It was reported in March 2014 by [[Der Spiegel]] that Merkel had also been placed on an NSA surveillance list alongside 122 other world leaders.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Poitras |first1=Laura |title=GCHQ and NSA Targeted Private German Companies and Merkel |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 29, 2014 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/gchq-and-nsa-targeted-private-german-companies-a-961444.html |access-date=April 4, 2014}}</ref>
On October 31, 2013, [[Hans-Christian Ströbele]], a member of the [[German Bundestag]] who visited Snowden in Russia, reported on Snowden's willingness to provide details of the NSA's espionage program.<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany hopes for details from Snowden on US spying |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=November 1, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24770430 |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref>
A highly sensitive signals intelligence collection program known as [[Stateroom (surveillance program)|Stateroom]] involves the interception of radio, telecommunications, and internet traffic. It is operated out of the diplomatic missions of the [[UKUSA Agreement|Five Eyes]] (Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, United States) in numerous locations around the world. The program conducted at U.S. diplomatic missions is run in concert by the U.S. intelligence agencies NSA and CIA in a joint venture group called "[[Special Collection Service]]" (SCS), whose members work undercover in shielded areas of the American Embassies and Consulates, where they are officially accredited as diplomats and as such enjoy special privileges. Under diplomatic protection, they can look and listen unhindered. The SCS, for example, used the American Embassy near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to monitor communications in Germany's government district with its parliament and the seat of the government.<ref name="Spiegel20131027">{{cite news |title=Der Spiegel Cover Story: How NSA Spied on Merkel Cell Phone from Berlin Embassy – Embassy Espionage: The NSA's Secret Spy Hub in Berlin |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 27, 2013 |author1=Jacob Appelbaum |author2=Nikolaus Blome |author3=Hubert Gude |author4=Ralf Neukirch |author5=René Pfister |author6=Laura Poitras |author7=Marcel Rosenbach |author8=Jörg Schindler |author9=Gregor Peter Schmitz |author10=Holger Stark (Translated from the German by Kristen Allen and Charly Wilder.) |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/cover-story-how-nsa-spied-on-merkel-cell-phone-from-berlin-embassy-a-930205.html |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Spies in the Embassy 10/27/2013 |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 27, 2013 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/photo-gallery-spies-in-the-embassy-fotostrecke-103079.html |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref name="SMH20131031"/><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA-Spähskandal: So funktionieren die Abhöranlagen in US-Botschaften |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=October 28, 2013 |author1=Konrad Lischka |author2=Matthias Kremp |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/nsa-spaehskandal-so-funktionieren-die-abhoeranlagen-in-us-botschaften-a-930392.html |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref>
Under the Stateroom surveillance programme, Australia operates clandestine surveillance facilities to intercept phone calls and data across much of Asia.<ref name="SMH20131031">{{cite news |last=Dorling |first=Philipp |title=Exposed: Australia's Asia spy network |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=October 31, 2013 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/exposed-australias-asia-spy-network-20131030-2whia.html |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Perlez |first=Jane|author-link=Jane Perlez|title=Australia Said to Play Part in N.S.A. Effort |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/world/asia/australia-participated-in-nsa-program-document-says.html |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref>
In France, the NSA targeted people belonging to the worlds of business, politics, or the French state administration. The NSA monitored and recorded the content of telephone communications and the history of the connections of each target, i.e., the metadata.<ref>{{cite news |title=France in the NSA's crosshair : phone networks under surveillance |newspaper=Le Monde |date=October 21, 2013 |author1=Jacques Follorou |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2013/10/21/france-in-the-nsa-s-crosshair-phone-networks-under-surveillance_3499741_651865.html |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gearan |first=Anna |title=Report that NSA collected French phone records causing diplomatic headache for U.S. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 22, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/report-that-nsa-collected-french-phone-records-causing-diplomatic-headache-for-us/2013/10/21/bfa74f22-3a76-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_story.html |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> The actual surveillance operation was performed by French intelligence agencies on behalf of the NSA.<ref name="lemonde1"/><ref name="WSJ20131029">{{cite news |title=U.S. Says France, Spain Aided NSA Spying |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |author1=Adam Entous |author2=Siobhan Gorman |date=October 29, 2013 |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304200804579165653105860502 |access-date=October 29, 2013}}</ref> The cooperation between France and the NSA was confirmed by the Director of the NSA, [[Keith B. Alexander]], who asserted that foreign intelligence services collected phone records in "war zones" and "other areas outside their borders" and provided them to the NSA.<ref name="WP20131029">{{cite news |title=NSA chief says NATO allies shared phone records with the U.S. spy agency |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 29, 2013 |author1=Ellen Nakashima |author2=Karen DeYoung |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/top-intelligence-officials-called-to-testify-on-nsa-surveillance-programs/2013/10/29/e9e9c250-40b7-11e3-a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html |access-date=October 30, 2013}}</ref>
The French newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' also disclosed new [[PRISM (surveillance program)|PRISM]] and Upstream slides coming from the "PRISM/US-984XN Overview" presentation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Espionnage de la NSA: tous les documents publiés par "Le Monde" |newspaper=Le Monde |date=October 21, 2013 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2013/10/21/espionnage-de-la-nsa-tous-les-documents-publies-par-le-monde_3499986_651865.html |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> In Spain, the NSA intercepted the telephone conversations, text messages, and emails of millions of Spaniards and spied on members of the Spanish government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miguel González |title=NSA revelations: Spain also a victim of US espionage |newspaper=[[El País]] |url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2013/10/25/inenglish/1382703360_329586.html |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> Between December 10, 2012, and January 8, 2013, the NSA collected metadata on 60 million telephone calls in Spain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miguel González |title=España eleva el tono de las quejas a EE UU por el espionaje masivo |newspaper=[[El País]] |language=es |url=https://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2013/10/27/actualidad/1382912344_420746.html |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> According to documents leaked by Snowden, the surveillance of Spanish citizens was jointly conducted by the NSA and the intelligence agencies of Spain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Paul Hamilos |title=Spain colluded in NSA spying on its citizens, Spanish newspaper reports |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 30, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/30/spain-colluded-nsa-spying-citizens-spanish-el-mundo-us |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Glenn Greenwald |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |author2=Germán Aranda |title=El CNI facilitó el espionaje masivo de EEUU a España |work=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |language=es |date=October 30, 2013 |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2013/10/30/5270985d63fd3d7d778b4576.html |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:NSA TOR1.png|thumb|center|500px|On October 4, 2013, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' published a [[Microsoft PowerPoint|PowerPoint]] presentation leaked by Snowden, showing how the NSA had compromised the [[Tor (anonymity network)|Tor]] encrypted network that is being employed by hundreds of thousands of people to circumvent "nation state internet policies". By secretly exploiting a [[JavaScript]] [[plug-in (computing)|plug-in]], the NSA found out the identities of various anonymous [[Internet users]] such as dissidents, terrorists, and other targets]]
====November==== ''The New York Times'' reported that the NSA carried out an eavesdropping effort, dubbed Operation Dreadnought, against the Iranian leader [[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]]. During his 2009 visit to [[Iranian Kurdistan]], the agency collaborated with GCHQ and the U.S.'s [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]], collecting radio transmissions between aircraft and airports, examining Khamenei's convoy with satellite imagery, and enumerating military radar stations. According to the story, an objective of the operation is "communications fingerprinting": the ability to distinguish Khamenei's communications from those of other people in [[Iran]].<ref name="omnivore">{{cite news |title=No Morsel Too Minuscule for All-Consuming N.S.A. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 2, 2013|last=Shane|first=Scott|author-link=Scott Shane|df=mdy-all |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/no-morsel-too-minuscule-for-all-consuming-nsa.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=November 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720131542/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/no-morsel-too-minuscule-for-all-consuming-nsa.html?pagewanted=7&_r=2&pagewanted=all |archive-date=July 20, 2016 |quote=This "communications fingerprinting," as a document called it, is the key to what the N.S.A. does. It allows the agency's computers to scan the stream of international communications and pluck out messages tied to the supreme leader.}}</ref>
The same story revealed an operation code-named Ironavenger, in which the NSA intercepted e-mails sent between a country allied with the United States and the government of "an adversary". The ally was conducting a [[spear-phishing]] attack: its e-mails contained [[malware]]. The NSA gathered documents and [[login]] credentials belonging to the enemy country, along with knowledge of the ally's capabilities for [[cyberwarfare|attacking computers]].<ref name="omnivore"/> According to the British newspaper ''[[The Independent]]'', the British intelligence agency GCHQ maintains a listening post on the roof of the [[Embassy of the United Kingdom, Berlin|British Embassy in Berlin]] that is capable of intercepting mobile phone calls, wi-fi data and long-distance communications all over the German capital, including adjacent government buildings such as the [[Reichstag building|Reichstag]] (seat of the German parliament) and the [[German Chancellery|Chancellery]] (seat of Germany's head of government) clustered around the [[Brandenburg Gate]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Duncan |title=Revealed: Britain's 'secret listening post in the heart of Berlin' |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=November 5, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-britains-secret-listening-post-in-the-heart-of-berlin-8921548.html |access-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref>
Operating under the code-name "Quantum Insert", GCHQ set up a fake website masquerading as [[LinkedIn]], a social website used for [[professional network]]ing, as part of its efforts to install surveillance software on the computers of the telecommunications operator [[Belgacom]].<ref name=gchqlinkin>{{cite news |last=Tony Paterson |title=GCHQ used 'Quantum Insert' technique to set up fake LinkedIn pages and spy on mobile phone giants |work=[[The Independent]] |location=London |date=November 10, 2013 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gchq-used-quantum-insert-technique-to-set-up-fake-linkedin-pagesand-spy-on-mobile-phone-giants-8931528.html |access-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Belgacom Attack: Britain's GCHQ Hacked Belgian Telecoms Firm |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=September 20, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/british-spy-agency-gchq-hacked-belgian-telecoms-firm-a-923406.html |access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Quantum Spying: GCHQ Used Fake LinkedIn Pages to Target Engineers |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=November 23, 2011 |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Christoph Scheuermann |author4=Holger Stark |author5=Christian Stöcker |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/ghcq-targets-engineers-with-fake-linkedin-pages-a-932821.html |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref> In addition, the headquarters of the oil cartel [[OPEC]] were infiltrated by GCHQ as well as the NSA, which bugged the computers of nine OPEC employees and monitored the [[list of Secretaries General of OPEC|General Secretary of OPEC]].<ref name=gchqlinkin/>
For more than three years, GCHQ has been using an automated monitoring system code-named "Royal Concierge" to infiltrate the [[hotel reservation system|reservation systems]] of at least 350 prestigious hotels in many different parts of the world to target, search, and analyze reservations to detect diplomats and government officials.<ref name="spirgelconcierge">{{cite web |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |title='Royal Concierge': GCHQ Monitors Hotel Reservations to Track Diplomats |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=November 17, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/gchq-monitors-hotel-reservations-to-track-diplomats-a-933914.html |access-date=November 17, 2013}}</ref> First tested in 2010, the aim of the "Royal Concierge" is to track down the travel plans of diplomats, and it is often supplemented with surveillance methods related to [[human intelligence (intelligence collection)|human intelligence]] (HUMINT). Other covert operations include the wiretapping of room telephones and fax machines used in targeted hotels, as well as the monitoring of computers hooked up to the hotel network.<ref name="spirgelconcierge"/>
In November 2013, the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] and ''[[The Guardian]]'' revealed that the [[Australian Signals Directorate]] (DSD) had attempted to listen to the private phone calls of the [[president of Indonesia]] and his wife. The Indonesian foreign minister, [[Marty Natalegawa]], confirmed that he and the president had contacted the ambassador in Canberra. Natalegawa said any tapping of Indonesian politicians' personal phones "violates every single decent and legal instrument I can think of—national in Indonesia, national in Australia, international as well".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/18/indonesia-recalls-ambassador-yudhoyono-phone-tapping-australia Indonesia recalls Canberra ambassador over Yudhoyono phone tapping attempt, Foreign minister demands explanation after documents reveal Australian agencies targeted phones of president and his wife] The Guardian November 18, 2013</ref>
Other high-ranking Indonesian politicians targeted by the DSD include: * [[Boediono]]<ref name=auind1>{{cite web |last=Michael Brissenden |title=Australia spied on Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, leaked Edward Snowden documents reveal |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=November 18, 2013 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/australia-spied-on-indonesian-president-leaked-documents-reveal/5098860 |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> (Vice President) * [[Jusuf Kalla]]<ref name=auind1/> (Former Vice President) * [[Dino Patti Djalal]]<ref name=auind1/> (Ambassador to the United States) * [[Andi Mallarangeng]]<ref name=auind1/> (Government spokesperson) * [[Hatta Rajasa]]<ref name=auind1/> (State Secretary) * [[Sri Mulyani Indrawati]]<ref name=auind1/> (Former Finance Minister and current managing director of the [[World Bank]]) * [[Widodo Adi Sutjipto]]<ref name=auind1/> (Former Commander-in-Chief of the military) * [[Sofyan Djalil]]<ref name=auind1/> (Senior government advisor)
Carrying the title "[[3G]] impact and update", a classified presentation leaked by Snowden revealed the attempts of the ASD/DSD to keep up to pace with the rollout of 3G technology in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. The ASD/DSD motto placed at the bottom of each page reads: "Reveal their secrets—protect our own."<ref name=auind1/> Under a secret deal approved by British intelligence officials, the NSA has been storing and analyzing the internet and email records of British citizens since 2007. The NSA also proposed in 2005 a procedure for spying on the citizens of the UK and other [[UKUSA Agreement|Five-Eyes nations alliance]], even where the partner government has explicitly denied the U.S. permission to do so. Under the proposal, partner countries must neither be informed about this particular type of surveillance, nor the procedure of doing so.<ref name="ukusaball">{{cite news |last=Ball |first=James |title=US and UK struck secret deal to allow NSA to 'unmask' Britons' personal data |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 20, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/20/us-uk-secret-deal-surveillance-personal-data |access-date=November 21, 2013}}</ref>
Toward the end of November, ''The New York Times'' released an internal NSA report outlining the agency's efforts to expand its surveillance abilities.<ref name="nytimessignt2016">{{cite news |author1=[[James Risen]]|author2=Laura Poitras |title=N.S.A. Report Outlined Goals for More Power |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 22, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/23/us/politics/nsa-report-outlined-goals-for-more-power.html |access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> The five-page document asserts that the [[law of the United States]] has not kept up with the needs of the NSA to conduct mass surveillance in the "golden age" of [[signals intelligence]], but there are grounds for optimism because, in the NSA's own words:
{{Blockquote|The culture of compliance, which has allowed the American people to entrust NSA with extraordinary authorities, will not be compromised in the face of so many demands, even as we aggressively pursue legal authorities...<ref>{{cite news |title=A Strategy for Surveillance Powers |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 23, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/11/23/us/politics/23nsa-sigint-strategy-document.html |access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref>}} The report, titled "[[signals intelligence|SIGINT]] Strategy 2012–2016", also said that the U.S. will try to influence the "global commercial encryption market" through "commercial relationships", and emphasized the need to "revolutionize" the analysis of its vast data collection to "radically increase operational impact".<ref name="nytimessignt2016"/>
On November 23, 2013, the Dutch newspaper ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'' reported that the Netherlands was targeted by U.S. intelligence agencies in the immediate aftermath of [[World War II]]. This period of surveillance lasted from 1946 to 1968, and also included the interception of the communications of other European countries including Belgium, France, West Germany and Norway.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Floor Boon |author2=Steven Derix |author3=Huib Modderkolk |title=Document Snowden: Nederland al sinds 1946 doelwit van NSA |work=[[NRC Handelsblad]] |date=November 23, 2013 |language=nl |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/11/23/nederland-sinds-1946-doelwit-van-nsa/ |access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> The Dutch Newspaper also reported that NSA infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide, often covertly, with malicious spy software, sometimes in cooperation with local authorities, designed to steal sensitive information.<ref name="NYT20140114">{{cite news |title=N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway into Computers |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 14, 2014 |author1=[[David E. Sanger]]|author2=Thom Shanker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/us/nsa-effort-pries-open-computers-not-connected-to-internet.html |access-date=January 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="NRC20131123"/>
[[File:Worldwide NSA signals intelligence.jpg|thumb|700px|center|On November 23, 2013, the Dutch newspaper ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]'' released a [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] NSA presentation leaked by Snowden, showing five "Classes of Accesses" that the NSA uses in its worldwide [[signals intelligence]] operations.<ref name="NYT20140114"/><ref name="NRC20131123">{{cite news |author1=Floor Boon |author2=Steven Derix |author3=Huib Modderkolk |title=NSA infected 50,000 computer networks with malicious software |work=[[NRC Handelsblad]] |date=November 23, 2013 |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/11/23/nsa-infected-50000-computer-networks-with-malicious-software/ |access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> These five "Classes of Accesses" are: {{legend|#6B8E23|'''3rd PARTY/LIAISON'''—refers to data provided by the international partners of the NSA. Within the framework of the [[UKUSA Agreement]], these international partners are known as "third parties.}} {{legend|#8B0000|'''REGIONAL'''—refers to over 80 regional [[Special Collection Service]]s (SCS). The SCS is a [[black budget]] program operated by the NSA and the CIA, with operations based in many cities such as [[Athens]], [[Bangkok]], Berlin, [[Brasília]], [[Budapest]], Frankfurt, [[Geneva]], [[Lagos]], Milan, New Delhi, Paris, [[Prague]], Vienna, and [[Zagreb]], and others, targeting Central America, the [[Arabian Peninsula]], East Asia, and [[Continental Europe]].}} {{legend|#FFD700|'''CNE'''—an abbreviation for "[[Computer Network Exploitation]]". It is performed by a special cyber-warfare unit of the NSA known as [[Tailored Access Operations]] (TAO), which infected over 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information, and is mostly aimed at [[Brazil]], China, [[Egypt]], [[India]], [[Mexico]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and parts of Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#00BFFF|'''LARGE CABLE'''—20 major points of access, many of them located within the United States}} {{legend|#D2691E|'''FORNSAT'''—an abbreviation for "Foreign Satellite Collection". It refers to intercepts from satellites that process data used by other countries such as Britain, [[Norway]], Japan, and the [[Philippines]].}} ]]
====December==== According to the classified documents leaked by Snowden, the [[Australian Signals Directorate]] (ASD), formerly known as the Defense Signals Directorate, had offered to share intelligence information it had collected with the other intelligence agencies of the [[UKUSA Agreement]]. Data shared with foreign countries includes "bulk, unselected, unminimized metadata" that it had collected. The ASD provided such information on the condition that no Australian citizens were targeted. At the time, the ASD assessed that "unintentional collection [of metadata of Australian nationals] is not viewed as a significant issue". If a target was later identified as being an Australian national, the ASD was required to be contacted to ensure that a warrant could be sought. Consideration was given as to whether "medical, legal, or religious information" would be automatically treated differently from other types of data; a decision was made that each agency would make such determinations on a case-by-case basis.<ref name=guardian031213>{{cite news |author1=Ewen MacAskill |author2=James Ball |author3=Katharine Murphy |title=Revealed: Australian spy agency offered to share data about ordinary citizens |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 2, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/02/revealed-australian-spy-agency-offered-to-share-data-about-ordinary-citizens |access-date=December 3, 2013}}</ref> Leaked material does not specify where the ASD had collected the intelligence information from, however Section 7(a) of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 (Commonwealth) states that the ASD's role is "...to obtain intelligence about the capabilities, intentions or activities of people or organizations outside Australia...".<ref>{{cite web |title=Intelligence Services Act 2001 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00114/Html/Text#_Toc442430744 |access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref> As such, it is possible ASD's metadata intelligence holdings was focused on foreign intelligence collection and was within the bounds of Australian law.
''[[The Washington Post]]'' revealed that the NSA has been tracking the locations of mobile phones from all over the world by tapping into the cables that connect mobile networks globally and that serve U.S. cellphones as well as foreign ones. In the process of doing so, the NSA collects more than five billion records of phone locations on a daily basis. This enables NSA analysts to map cellphone owners' relationships by correlating their patterns of movement over time with thousands or millions of other phone users who cross their paths.<ref>{{cite news |title=How the NSA is tracking people right now |date=December 4, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/how-the-nsa-is-tracking-people-right-now/634/ |access-date=December 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205024432/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/how-the-nsa-is-tracking-people-right-now/634/ |archive-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How the NSA uses cellphone tracking to find and 'develop' targets |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 4, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/national/how-the-nsa-uses-cellphone-tracking-to-find-and-develop-targets/2013/12/04/d9114d52-5d1f-11e3-95c2-13623eb2b0e1_video.html |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Reporter explains NSA collection of cellphone data |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 4, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/politics/reporter-explains-nsa-collection-of-cellphone-data/2013/12/04/67b85252-5d26-11e3-95c2-13623eb2b0e1_video.html |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New documents show how the NSA infers relationships based on mobile location data |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 10, 2013 |author1=Ashkan Soltani |author2=Barton Gellmann |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/10/new-documents-show-how-the-nsa-infers-relationships-based-on-mobile-location-data/ |access-date=December 26, 2013}}</ref>
The Washington Post also reported that both GCHQ and the NSA make use of location data and advertising tracking files generated through normal internet browsing (with [[HTTP cookie|cookies]] operated by Google, known as "Pref") to pinpoint targets for government hacking and to bolster surveillance.<ref name=WP20131210>{{cite news |title=NSA uses Google cookies to pinpoint targets for hacking |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 10, 2013 |author1=Ashkan Soltani |author2=Andrea Peterson |author3=Barton Gellman |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/10/nsa-uses-google-cookies-to-pinpoint-targets-for-hacking/ |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA signal-surveillance success stories |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 10, 2013 |author1=Ashkan Soltani |author2=Matt DeLong |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/nsa-signal-surveillance-success-stories/647/ |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211143008/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/nsa-signal-surveillance-success-stories/647/ |archive-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Reporter: For NSA, Google cookies allow 'laser-guided' targeting |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 11, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/national/reporter-for-nsa-google-cookies-allow-laser-guided-targeting/2013/12/11/cd93fa24-62a1-11e3-aa81-e1dab1360323_video.html |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref>
The [[Norwegian Intelligence Service]] (NIS), which cooperates with the NSA, has gained access to Russian targets in the [[Kola Peninsula]] and other civilian targets. In general, the NIS provides information to the NSA about "Politicians", "Energy" and "Armament".<ref>{{cite web |author1=Arne Halvorsen |author2=Anne Marte Blindheim |author3=Harald S. Klungtveit |author4=Kjetil Magne Sørenes |author5=Tore Bergsaker |author6=Gunnar Hultgreen |title=Norway's secret surveillance of Russian politics for the NSA |work=[[Dagbladet]] |date=December 17, 2013 |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/2013/12/17/nyheter/samfunn/politikk/utenriks/overvaking/30877258/ |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> A [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] memo of the NSA lists the following years as milestones of the Norway–United States of America SIGINT agreement, or [[NORUS Agreement]]: *1952 – Informal starting year of cooperation between the NIS and the NSA<ref name=norwaynsa>{{cite web |title=Snowden-dokumentene: Norge er NSAs drømmepartner |work=[[Dagbladet]] |language=no |date=December 18, 2013 |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/2013/12/18/nyheter/nsa/etterretningstjenesten/snowden/overvakning/30891164/ |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> *1954 – Formalization of the agreement<ref name=norwaynsa/> *1963 – Extension of the agreement for coverage of [[foreign instrumentation signals intelligence]] (FISINT)<ref name=norwaynsa/> *1970 – Extension of the agreement for coverage of [[electronic intelligence]] (ELINT)<ref name=norwaynsa/> *1994 – Extension of the agreement for coverage of [[communications intelligence]] (COMINT)<ref name=norwaynsa/>
The NSA considers the NIS to be one of its most reliable partners. Both agencies also cooperate to crack the encryption systems of mutual targets. According to the NSA, Norway has made no objections to its requests from the NIS.<ref name=norwaynsa/> On December 5, [[Sveriges Television]] reported that the [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)|National Defense Radio Establishment]] (FRA) has been conducting a clandestine surveillance operation in Sweden, targeting the internal politics of Russia. The operation was conducted on behalf of the NSA, receiving data handed over to it by the FRA.<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Glenn Greenwald]] |author2=Ryan Gallagher |author3=Filip Struwe |author4=Anna H Svensson |title=SVT avslöjar: FRA spionerar på Ryssland åt USA |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |language=sv |url=http://www.svt.se/nyheter/sverige/fra-spionerar-pa-ryssland-at-usa |access-date=December 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206130455/http://www.svt.se/nyheter/sverige/fra-spionerar-pa-ryssland-at-usa |archive-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Filip Struwe |author2=[[Glenn Greenwald]] |author3=Ryan Gallagher |author4=Sven Bergman |author5=Joachim Dyfvermark |author6=Fredrik Laurin |title=Snowden files reveal Swedish-American surveillance of Russia |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |language=sv |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/snowden-files-reveale-swedish-american-surveillance-of-russia |access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> The Swedish-American surveillance operation also targeted Russian energy interests as well as the [[Baltic states]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Sven Bergman |author2=Joachim Dyfvermark |author3=Ryan Gallagher |author4=Glenn Greenwald |author-link4=Glenn Greenwald |author5=Fredrik Laurin |title=FRA spying on "energy" and "Baltics" for USA |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/fra-spying-on-energy-and-baltics-for-usa |access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> As part of the [[UKUSA Agreement]], a secret treaty was signed in 1954 by Sweden with the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, regarding collaboration and intelligence sharing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cold War treaty confirms Sweden was not neutral |work=[[The Local]] |date=December 9, 2013 |url=https://www.thelocal.se/20131209/secret-cold-war-treaty-confirms-sweden-was-never-neutral |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref>
As a result of Snowden's disclosures, the notion of [[Swedish neutrality]] in international politics was called into question.<ref>{{cite book |title=Avatar Lord from Heaven |date=2016 |publisher=Partridge Pub |author=Jain, Rajesh |isbn=978-1-4828-7201-9 |oclc=945648209 }}</ref> In an internal document dating from the year 2006, the NSA acknowledged that its "relationship" with Sweden is "protected at the TOP SECRET level because of that nation's [[neutrality (international relations)|political neutrality]]."<ref name=svtneut>{{cite web |title=NSA 'asking for' specific exchanges from FRA – Secret treaty since 1954 |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/nsafra4 |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref> Specific details of Sweden's cooperation with members of the UKUSA Agreement include: * The FRA has been granted access to [[XKeyscore]], an analytical database of the NSA.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |title=Read the Snowden Documents From the NSA |publisher=[[Sveriges Television]] |url=http://www.svt.se/ug/read-the-snowden-documents-from-the-nsa |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref> * Sweden updated the NSA on changes in [[law of Sweden|Swedish legislation]] that provided the legal framework for information sharing between the FRA and the [[Swedish Security Service]].<ref name=svtsnowd1/> * Since January 2013, a counterterrorism analyst of the NSA has been stationed in the Swedish capital of [[Stockholm]]<ref name=svtsnowd1/> * The NSA, GCHQ and the FRA signed an agreement in 2004 that allows the FRA to directly collaborate with the NSA without having to consult GCHQ.<ref name=svtsnowd1/> About five years later, the [[Riksdag]] passed a controversial [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)#Change in legislation|legislative change]], briefly allowing the FRA to monitor both wireless and cable bound signals passing the Swedish border without a court order,<ref>{{cite news |title=Internet freedom in Sweden — a closer look |author=Stefan Geens |date=April 22, 2012 |work=Goteborg Daily |df=mdy-all |url=http://www.goteborgdaily.se/a-new-life-abroad/internet-freedom-in-sweden-mdash-a-closer-look |access-date=April 11, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129073924/http://www.goteborgdaily.se/a-new-life-abroad/internet-freedom-in-sweden-mdash-a-closer-look |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |quote=The FRA law has proven controversial in Sweden; the DLD law not so much.}}</ref> while also introducing several provisions designed to protect the privacy of individuals, according to the original proposal.<ref name=anpassad>{{cite web |title=En anpassad försvarsunderrättelseverksamhet (Prop. 2006/07:63) |publisher=Regeringen |url=http://www.regeringen.se/download/2ee1ba0a.pdf?major=1&minor=78367&cn=attachmentPublDuplicator_0_attachment |access-date=March 10, 2014}}{{dead link|date=March 2016}}</ref> This legislation was amended 11 months later,<ref>{{cite news |title=Ändrad FRA-lag nu ute på remiss |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |publisher=[[Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå]]/[[Dagens Nyheter]] |date=December 22, 2008 |url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/andrad-fra-lag-nu-ute-pa-remiss/ |access-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref> in an effort to strengthen protection of privacy by making court orders a requirement, and by imposing several limits on the intelligence-gathering.<ref name="limits">{{cite web |last=Sjögren |first=Per-Anders |title=Alliansen enig om stora ändringar i FRA-lag |publisher=Riksdag & Departement |language=sv |url=http://rod.se/alliansen-enig-om-stora-%C3%A4ndringar-i-fra-lag/ |access-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310123656/http://rod.se/alliansen-enig-om-stora-%C3%A4ndringar-i-fra-lag/ |archive-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name=villkor>{{cite news |last=Bynert |first=Simon |title=Militärt hot villkor för FRA-spaning |work=[[Svenska Dagbladet]] |date=September 26, 2008 |language=sv |url=https://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/militart-hot-villkor-for-fra-spaning_1788753.svd |access-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Alliansen enig om stärkt integritet, tydligare reglering och förbättrad kontroll i kompletteringar till signalspaningslagen |publisher=Regeringen |language=sv |url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10911/a/112332 |access-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310123055/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10911/a/112332 |archive-date=March 10, 2014}}</ref>
According to documents leaked by Snowden, the [[Special Source Operations]] of the NSA has been sharing information containing "logins, cookies, and GooglePREFID" with the [[Tailored Access Operations]] division of the NSA, as well as Britain's GCHQ agency.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Ashkan Soltani |author2=Andrea Peterson |author3=Barton Gellman |title=NSA uses Google cookies to pinpoint targets for hacking |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/10/nsa-uses-google-cookies-to-pinpoint-targets-for-hacking/ |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref>
During the [[2010 G-20 Toronto summit]], the [[Embassy of the United States, Ottawa|U.S. embassy in Ottawa]] was transformed into a security command post during a six-day spying operation that was conducted by the NSA and closely coordinated with the [[Communications Security Establishment Canada]] (CSEC). The goal of the spying operation was, among others, to obtain information on international development, banking reform, and to counter trade protectionism to support "U.S. policy goals."<ref name=cbct>{{cite news |author1=Greg Weston |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |author3=Ryan Gallagher |title=New Snowden docs show U.S. spied during G20 in Toronto |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/new-snowden-docs-show-u-s-spied-during-g20-in-toronto-1.2442448 |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> On behalf of the NSA, the CSEC has set up covert spying posts in 20 countries around the world.<ref name="cbcspy"/>
In Italy the [[Special Collection Service]] of the NSA maintains two separate surveillance posts in Rome and [[Milan]].<ref name=espruit>{{cite web |author1=Glenn Greenwald |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |author2=Stefania Maurizi |title=Revealed: How the NSA Targets Italy |work=[[L'espresso]] |date=December 5, 2013 |url=https://espresso.repubblica.it/inchieste/2013/12/05/news/revealed-how-the-nsa-targets-italy-1.144428 |access-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> According to a secret NSA memo dated September 2010, the [[Embassy of Italy, Washington, D.C.|Italian embassy in Washington, D.C.]] has been targeted by two spy operations of the NSA: * Under the codename "Bruneau", which refers to mission "Lifesaver", the NSA sucks out all the information stored in the embassy's computers and creates electronic images of [[hard disk drive]]s.<ref name=espruit/> * Under the codename "Hemlock", which refers to mission "Highlands", the NSA gains access to the embassy's communications through physical "implants".<ref name=espruit/>
Due to concerns that terrorist or criminal networks may be secretly communicating via computer games, the NSA, GCHQ, CIA, and FBI have been conducting surveillance and scooping up data from the networks of many online games, including [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]s (MMORPGs) such as [[World of Warcraft]], as well as [[virtual world]]s such as [[Second Life]], and the [[Xbox]] gaming console.<ref>{{cite news |author1=[[Mark Mazzetti]]|author2=Justin Elliott |title=Spies Infiltrate a Fantasy Realm of Online Games |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 9, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/spies-dragnet-reaches-a-playing-field-of-elves-and-trolls.html |access-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ball |first=James |title=Xbox Live among game services targeted by US and UK spy agencies |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 9, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA files: games and virtual environments paper |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 9, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/dec/09/nsa-files-games-virtual-environments-paper-pdf |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NSA files: games and virtual environments paper |website=[[ProPublica]]|date=December 9, 2013 |author1=Justin Elliott |author2=Andrew W. Lehren|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/world-of-spycraft-intelligence-agencies-spied-in-online-games |access-date=July 19, 2024}}</ref>
The NSA has cracked the most commonly used cellphone encryption technology, [[A5/1]]. According to a classified document leaked by Snowden, the agency can "process encrypted A5/1" even when it has not acquired an encryption key.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Craig Timberg |author2=Ashkan Soltani |title=By cracking cellphone code, NSA has capacity for decoding private conversations |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/by-cracking-cellphone-code-nsa-has-capacity-for-decoding-private-conversations/2013/12/13/e119b598-612f-11e3-bf45-61f69f54fc5f_story.html |access-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref> In addition, the NSA uses various types of cellphone infrastructure, such as the links between carrier networks, to determine the location of a cellphone user tracked by [[Visitor Location Registers]].<ref>{{cite news |title=How the NSA pinpoints a mobile device |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/how-the-nsa-pinpoints-a-mobile-device/645/#document/p2/a135576 |access-date=December 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211084030/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/how-the-nsa-pinpoints-a-mobile-device/645/#document/p2/a135576 |archive-date=December 11, 2013}}</ref>
US district court judge for the District of Columbia, Richard Leon, [[Klayman v. Obama|declared]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Leon |first=Richard |title=Federal judge rules NSA program is likely unconstitutional |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 16, 2013 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/federal-judge-rules-nsa-program-is-likely-unconstitutional/668/ |access-date=December 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830105413/https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/federal-judge-rules-nsa-program-is-likely-unconstitutional/668/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Savage|first=Charlie|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|title=Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 16, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/us/politics/federal-judge-rules-against-nsa-phone-data-program.html |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kravets |first=David |title=Court Says NSA Bulk Telephone Spying Is Unconstitutional |date=December 16, 2013 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/12/bulk-telephone-metada-ruling/ |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gerstein |first=Josh |title=Judge: NSA phone program likely unconstitutional |newspaper=[[Politico]] |date=December 16, 2013 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/national-security-agency-phones-judge-101203.html |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> on December 16, 2013, that the mass collection of metadata of Americans' telephone records by the National Security Agency probably violates the [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|fourth amendment]] prohibition of unreasonable [[search and seizure|searches and seizures]].<ref name="WP20131216"/> Leon granted the request for a preliminary injunction that blocks the collection of phone data for two private plaintiffs (Larry Klayman, a conservative lawyer, and Charles Strange, father of a cryptologist killed in Afghanistan when his helicopter was shot down in 2011)<ref name="Guaraian20131216">{{cite news |title=NSA phone surveillance program likely unconstitutional, federal judge rules |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |author1=Spencer Ackerman |author2=Dan Roberts |date=December 16, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/16/nsa-phone-surveillance-likely-unconstitutional-judge |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref> and ordered the government to destroy any of their records that have been gathered. But the judge stayed action on his ruling pending a government appeal, recognizing in his 68-page opinion the "significant national security interests at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issues."<ref name="WP20131216">{{cite news |title=Judge: NSA's collecting of phone records is probably unconstitutional |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 16, 2013 |author1=Ellen Nakashima |author2=Ann E. Marimow |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/judge-nsas-collecting-of-phone-records-is-likely-unconstitutional/2013/12/16/6e098eda-6688-11e3-a0b9-249bbb34602c_story.html |access-date=December 17, 2013}}</ref>
However, federal judge William H. Pauley III in New York City [[w:ACLU v. Clapper|ruled]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Pauley III |first=William H. |title=United States District Court Southern District of New York: American Civil Liberties Union v. James R. Clapper (13 Civ. 3994) (WHP) |publisher=American Civil Liberties Union |date=December 27, 2013 |url=https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/order_granting_governments_motion_to_dismiss_and_denying_aclu_motion_for_preliminary_injunction.pdf |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> the U.S. government's global telephone data-gathering system is needed to thwart potential terrorist attacks, and that it can only work if everyone's calls are swept in. U.S. District Judge Pauley also ruled that Congress legally set up the program and that it does not violate anyone's constitutional rights. The judge also concluded that the telephone data being swept up by the SA did not belong to telephone users, but to the telephone companies. He further ruled that when the NSA obtains such data from the telephone companies, and then probes into it to find links between callers and potential terrorists, this further use of the data was not even a search under the Fourth Amendment. He also concluded that the controlling precedent is ''[[Smith v. Maryland]]'': "Smith's bedrock holding is that an individual has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information provided to third parties," Judge Pauley wrote.<ref>{{cite news |title=Judge Upholds N.S.A.'s Bulk Collection of Data on Calls |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 27, 2013 |author1=[[Adam Liptak]]|author2=[[Michael S. Schmidt]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/us/nsa-phone-surveillance-is-lawful-federal-judge-rules.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Denniston |first=Lyle |title=Judge upholds NSA's phone data sweeps (UPDATED) |publisher=Scotusblog |date=December 27, 2013 |url=https://www.scotusblog.com/2013/12/judge-upholds-nsas-phone-data-sweeps/ |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Peterson |first=Andrea |title=The most Kafkaesque paragraph from today's NSA ruling |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 27, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/27/the-most-kafkaesque-paragraph-from-todays-nsa-ruling/?wprss=rss_business |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Horwitz |first=Sari |title=NSA collection of phone data is lawful, federal judge rules |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 27, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-collection-of-phone-data-is-lawful-federal-judge-rules/2013/12/27/4b99d96a-6f19-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> The American Civil Liberties Union declared on January 2, 2012, that it will appeal Judge Pauley's ruling that NSA bulk the phone record collection is legal. "The government has a legitimate interest in tracking the associations of suspected terrorists, but tracking those associations does not require the government to subject every citizen to permanent surveillance," deputy ACLU legal director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ackermann |first=Spencer |title=ACLU will appeal ruling that NSA bulk phone record collection is legal |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 2, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/02/aclu-appeal-nsa-bulk-phone-record-collection |access-date=January 4, 2014}}</ref>
In recent years, American and British intelligence agencies conducted surveillance on more than 1,100 targets, including the office of an Israeli prime minister, heads of international aid organizations, foreign energy companies, and a European Union official involved in antitrust battles with American technology businesses.<ref>{{cite news |title=N.S.A. Spied on Allies, Aid Groups and Businesses |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 20, 2013 |author1=[[James Glanz]]|author2=Andrew W. Lehren |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/21/world/nsa-dragnet-included-allies-aid-groups-and-business-elite.html?pagewanted=all |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>{{wide image|NSA FASCIA.pdf|700px|On December 4, 2013, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' released an internal NSA chart illustrating the extent of the agency's mass collection of mobile phone location records, which amounts to about five billion daily.<ref name=wapo52013>{{cite news |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Ashkan Soltani |title=NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 4, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tracking-cellphone-locations-worldwide-snowden-documents-show/2013/12/04/5492873a-5cf2-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html |access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> The records are stored in a huge database known as [[FASCIA (database)|FASCIA]], which received over 27 [[terabyte]]s of location data within seven months.<ref name="nsa-ghostmashine">{{cite news |title=GHOSTMACHINE: The NSA's cloud analytics platform |author=The Washington Post Staff |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2013-12-04 |format=4 slides |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/ghostmachine-the-nsas-cloud-analytics-platform/644/ |access-date=2014-03-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120013152/https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/ghostmachine-the-nsas-cloud-analytics-platform/644/ |archive-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref>}}
===2014===
====January==== The NSA is working to build a powerful [[quantum computer]] capable of breaking all types of encryption.<ref name="usaquantum">{{cite news |last=Michael Winter |title=NSA working to build computer to crack encryption |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 2, 2014 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/02/nsa-computer-break-encryption/4294871/ |access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref><ref name=wapoquantum1/><ref>{{cite news |title=A description of the Penetrating Hard Targets project |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 2, 2014 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/a-description-of-the-penetrating-hard-targets-project/691/ |access-date=January 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830105417/https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/a-description-of-the-penetrating-hard-targets-project/691/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Classifying NSA quantum computing efforts |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 2, 2014 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/classifying-nsa-quantum-computing-efforts/692/ |access-date=January 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104203959/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/classifying-nsa-quantum-computing-efforts/692/ |archive-date=January 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Timothy B. |title=Confused about the NSA's quantum computing project? This MIT computer scientist can explain. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 2, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/01/02/confused-about-the-nsas-quantum-computing-project-this-mit-computer-scientist-can-explain/ |access-date=January 4, 2014}}</ref> The effort is part of a US$79.7 million research program known as "Penetrating Hard Targets". It involves extensive research carried out in large, shielded rooms known as [[Faraday cages]]s, which are designed to prevent [[electromagnetic radiation]] from entering or leaving.<ref name=wapoquantum1/> Currently, the NSA is close to producing basic building blocks that will allow the agency to gain "complete quantum control on two [[semiconductor]] [[qubit]]s".<ref name=wapoquantum1>{{cite news |author1=Steven Rich |author2=Barton Gellman |title=NSA seeks to build quantum computer that could crack most types of encryption |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 3, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-seeks-to-build-quantum-computer-that-could-crack-most-types-of-encryption/2014/01/02/8fff297e-7195-11e3-8def-a33011492df2_story.html |access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref> Once a quantum computer is successfully built, it would enable the NSA to unlock the encryption that protects data held by banks, credit card companies, retailers, brokerages, governments and health care providers.<ref name="usaquantum"/>
According to ''The New York Times'', the NSA is monitoring approximately 100,000 computers worldwide with spy software named Quantum. Quantum enables the NSA to conduct surveillance on those computers on the one hand, and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks on the other hand. Among the targets are the Chinese and Russian military, but also trade institutions within the European Union. The NYT also reported that the NSA can access and alter computers that are not connected to the internet using a secret technology in use by the NSA since 2008. The prerequisite is the physical insertion of the radio frequency hardware by a spy, a manufacturer, or an unwitting user. The technology relies on a covert channel of radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted surreptitiously into the computers. In some cases, they are sent to a briefcase-size relay station that intelligence agencies can set up miles away from the target. The technology can also transmit malware back to the infected computer.<ref name="NYT20140114"/>
[[Channel 4]] and ''[[The Guardian]]'' revealed the existence of [[Dishfire]], a massive [[database]] of the NSA that collects hundreds of millions of text messages daily.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite news |title=Report: NSA 'collected 200 m texts per day' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=January 17, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25770313 |access-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref> GCHQ has been given full access to the database, which it uses to obtain personal information of Britons by exploiting a legal loophole.<ref name="c4database">{{cite web |last=Geoff White |title=Revealed: UK and US spied on text messages of Brits |publisher=[[Channel 4]] |date=January 16, 2014 |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/intercept-text-messages-spy-nsa-gchq-british-phone |access-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref>
Each day, the database receives and stores the following amounts of data: * [[Geolocation]] data of more than 76,000 text messages and other travel information<ref name="guardiandishfire"/> * Over 110,000 names, gathered from electronic [[business card]]s<ref name="guardiandishfire"/> * Over 800,000 [[financial transaction]]s that are either gathered from text-to-text payments or by linking credit cards to phone users<ref name="guardiandishfire"/> * Details of 1.6 million border crossings based on the interception of network [[roaming]] alerts<ref name="guardiandishfire"/> * Over 5 million [[missed call]] alerts<ref name="guardiandishfire"/> * About 200 million text messages from around the world<ref name="autogenerated2"/>
The database is supplemented with an analytical tool known as the Prefer program, which processes SMS messages to extract other types of information, including contacts from [[missed call]] alerts.<ref name="guardiandishfire">{{cite web |last=James Ball in |title=NSA collects millions of text messages daily in 'untargeted' global sweep |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 16, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/nsa-collects-millions-text-messages-daily-untargeted-global-sweep |access-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref>
The [[Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board report on mass surveillance]] was released on January 23, 2014. It recommends to end the bulk telephone metadata, i.e., bulk phone records – phone numbers dialed, call times and durations, but not call content collection – collection program, to create a "Special Advocate" to be involved in some cases before the FISA court judge and to release future and past FISC decisions "that involve novel interpretations of FISA or other significant questions of law, technology or compliance."<ref name="accessnow1">{{cite web |title=US privacy oversight board slams legality & usefulness bulk data collection |publisher=Accessnow.org |date=January 23, 2014 |author1=Micek, Peter |author2=Ben-Avie, Jochai |author3=Fox, Jon |url=https://www.accessnow.org/blog/2014/01/23/us-privacy-oversight-board-slams-legality-usefulness-bulk-data-collection |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=Independent review board says NSA phone data program is illegal and should end |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 23, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/independent-review-board-says-nsa-phone-data-program-is-illegal-and-should-end/2014/01/22/4cebd470-83dd-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html |access-date=March 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|title=Watchdog Report Says N.S.A. Program Is Illegal and Should End |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 23, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/us/politics/watchdog-report-says-nsa-program-is-illegal-and-should-end.html |access-date=March 25, 2014}}</ref> <!-- During the [[Euromaidan]] protests in Ukraine, participants in the demonstrations were sent text messages warning them that they've been identified as participants in "mass disturbance", presumably with the help of state-sponsored rogue GSM towers, as the telecom companies have denied any participation in this action.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ukraine texts citizens: Hey, we see you're in a mass disturbance |website=CNET |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57617605-71/ukraine-texts-citizens-hey-we-see-youre-in-a-mass-disturbance/ |access-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> -->
According to a joint disclosure by ''The New York Times'', ''The Guardian'', and [[ProPublica]],<ref name="NYT20140127">{{cite news |title=Spy Agencies Tap Data Streaming From Phone Apps – A version of the NYT appeared in print on January 28, 2014, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Spy Agencies Tap Data Streaming From Phone Apps. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 27, 2014 |author1=[[James Glanz]]|author2=Jeff Larson |author3=Andrew W. Lehren |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=From Britain's Government Communications Headquarters |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 27, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/28/world/28mobile-annotateB.html |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref name="From the National Security Agency">{{cite news |title=From the National Security Agency |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 27, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/28/world/28mobile-annotateA.html |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Spy Agencies Probe Angry Birds and Other Apps for Personal Data |publisher=ProPublica |date=January 27, 2014 |author1=Jeff Larson |author2=James Glanz |author3=Andrew W. Lehren |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref> the NSA and GCHQ have begun working together to collect and store data from dozens of [[smartphone]] [[application software]] by 2007 at the latest. A 2008 GCHQ report, leaked by Snowden, asserts that "anyone using [[Google Maps]] on a smartphone is working in support of a GCHQ system". The NSA and GCHQ have traded recipes for various purposes such as grabbing location data and journey plans that are made when a target uses [[Google Maps]], and vacuuming up [[address book]]s, [[contact list|buddy lists]], [[call logging|phone logs]] and geographic data embedded in photos posted on the mobile versions of numerous social networks such as Facebook, [[Flickr]], [[LinkedIn]], Twitter, and other services. In a separate 20-page report dated 2012, GCHQ cited the popular smartphone game "[[Angry Birds]]" as an example of how an application could be used to extract user data. Taken together, such forms of data collection would allow the agencies to collect vital information about a user's life, including his or her home country, current location (through [[geolocation]]), age, gender, [[ZIP code]], [[marital status]], income, [[ethnic group|ethnicity]], [[sexual orientation]], education level, number of children, etc.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ball |first=James |title=NSA and GCHQ target 'leaky' phone apps like Angry Birds to scoop user data |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 27, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/nsa-gchq-smartphone-app-angry-birds-personal-data |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=[[James Glanz]]|author2=Jeff Larson |author3=Andrew W. Lehren |title=Spy Agencies Scour Phone Apps for Personal Data |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 27, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref>
A GCHQ document dated August 2012 provided details of the [[Squeaky Dolphin]] surveillance program, which enables GCHQ to conduct broad, [[real-time data|real-time]] monitoring of various [[social media]] features and social media traffic such as YouTube video views, the [[Like button]] on Facebook, and [[Blogger (service)|Blogspot/Blogger]] visits without the knowledge or consent of the companies providing those social media features. The agency's "Squeaky Dolphin" program can collect, analyze, and utilize YouTube, Facebook, and Blogger data in specific situations in real time for analysis purposes. The program also collects the addresses from the billions of videos watched daily, as well as some user information for analysis purposes.<ref name=zdnet2>{{cite news |last=Dignan |first=Larry |title=Snowden's Squeaky Dolphin leak: Brits spy on YouTube, Facebook behavior |work=[[ZDNet]] |date=January 28, 2014 |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/snowdens-squeaky-dolphin-leak-brits-spy-on-youtube-facebook-behavior/ |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129025733/http://www.zdnet.com/snowdens-squeaky-dolphin-leak-brits-spy-on-youtube-facebook-behavior-7000025641/ |archive-date=January 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name=NBCJan14>{{cite news |title=Snowden docs reveal British spies snooped on YouTube and Facebook |date=January 27, 2014 |work=[[NBC News]] |author1=Richard Esposito |author2=Matthew Cole |author3=Mark Schone |author4=Glenn Greenwald |author-link4=Glenn Greenwald |url=http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/27/22469304-snowden-docs-reveal-british-spies-snooped-on-youtube-and-facebook?lite |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Psychology A New Kind of SIGDEV (Signals Development) – Establishing the Human Science Operation Cell |publisher=[[NBC News]] Investigations |date=January 27, 2014 |url=http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/snowden_youtube_nbc_document.pdf |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129045211/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/snowden_youtube_nbc_document.pdf |archive-date=January 29, 2014}}</ref>
During the [[2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference]] in Copenhagen, the NSA and its [[Five Eyes]] partners monitored the communications of delegates of numerous countries. This was done to give their own policymakers a negotiating advantage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vidal |first=John |title=Snowden revelations of NSA spying on Copenhagen climate talks spark anger |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 30, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/30/snowden-nsa-spying-copenhagen-climate-talks |access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sheppard |first=Kate |title=Snowden Docs: U.S. Spied On Negotiators At 2009 Climate Summit |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/snowden-nsa-surveillance-_n_4681362.html |access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref>
The [[Communications Security Establishment Canada]] (CSEC) has been tracking Canadian air passengers via free [[Wi-Fi]] services at a major Canadian airport. Passengers who exited the airport terminal continued to be tracked as they showed up at other [[Wi-Fi]] locations across Canada. In a CSEC document dated May 2012, the agency described how it had gained access to two communications systems with over 300,000 userstoo pinpoint a specific imaginary target. The operation was executed on behalf of the NSA as a trial run to test a new technology capable of tracking down "any target that makes occasional forays into other cities/regions." This technology was subsequently shared with Canada's [[Five Eyes]] partners – Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and the United States.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Greg Weston |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |author3=Ryan Gallagher |title=CSEC used airport Wi-Fi to track Canadian travellers: Edward Snowden documents |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=January 30, 2014 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/csec-used-airport-wi-fi-to-track-canadian-travellers-edward-snowden-documents-1.2517881 |access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=CSEC's airport Wi-Fi tracking (redacted PDF) |work=Communications Security Establishment Canada |publisher=CBC News |date=May 10, 2012 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news2/pdf/airports_redacted.pdf |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Snowden leaks: Canada 'spied on airport travellers' |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=January 31, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25977620 |access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Memmott |first=Mark |title=Canada Used Airport Wi-Fi To Track Travelers, Snowden Leak Alleges |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=January 31, 2014 |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/01/31/269418375/airport-wi-fi-used-to-track-travelers-snowden-leak-alleges |access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:NSA User Activity Leads.jpg|center|thumb|600px|On January 27, 2014, ''[[The New York Times]]'' released<ref name="From the National Security Agency"/> an internal NSA document from a 2010 meeting that details the extent of the agency's surveillance on [[smartphone]]s. Data collected includes phone settings, network connections, [[web browsing history]], [[contact list|buddy lists]], downloaded documents, encryption usage, and user agents. Notice the following line of text at the bottom – "''TOP SECRET//COMINT//REL TO USA, FVEY''" – which is used to indicated that this [[Classified information#Top Secret (TS)|top secret]] document is related to [[communications intelligence]] (COMINT), and can be accessed by the US and its [[Five Eyes]] (FVEY) partners in Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand]]
====February==== According to research by ''[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]'' and TV network [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk|NDR]], the mobile phone of former German chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]] was monitored from 2002 onward, reportedly because of his government's opposition to [[Iraq War|military intervention in Iraq]]. The source of the latest information is a document leaked by [[Edward Snowden]]. The document, containing information about the National Sigint Requirement List (NSRL), had previously been interpreted as referring only to [[Angela Merkel]]'s mobile. However, ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' and NDR claim to have confirmation from NSA insiders that the surveillance authorisation pertains not to the individual, but the political post, which in 2002 was still held by Schröder. According to research by the two media outlets, Schröder was placed as number 388 on the list, which contains the names of persons and institutions to be put under surveillance by the NSA.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA hatte auch Gerhard Schröder im Visier |newspaper=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=February 4, 2014 |author=Stefan Kornelius, Hans Leyendecker und Georg Mascolo |language=de |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/ausspaehung-des-bundeskanzlers-nsa-hatte-auch-gerhard-schroeder-im-visier-1.1880004 |access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ottermann |first=Philip |title=NSA tapped German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder's phone – report |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 4, 2014 |location=Berlin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/04/us-nsa-gerhard-schroeder-surveillance |access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Report: NSA spied on Merkel's predecessor too |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=February 4, 2014 |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Report-NSA-spied-on-Merkel-s-predecessor-too-5204068.php |access-date=February 5, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205020031/http://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Report-NSA-spied-on-Merkel-s-predecessor-too-5204068.php |archive-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Smale |first=Alison|author-link=Alison Smale|title=German Paper Says U.S. Kept Tabs on Leader |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 4, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/world/europe/german-paper-says-us-kept-tabs-on-leader.html |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
GCHQ launched a [[cyber-attack]] on the activist network "[[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]]", using [[denial-of-service attack]] (DoS) to shut down a chatroom frequented by the network's members and to spy on them. The attack, dubbed Rolling Thunder, was conducted by a GCHQ unit known as the [[Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group]] (JTRIG). The unit successfully uncovered the true identities of several Anonymous members.<ref>{{cite news |title=Snowden leaks: GCHQ 'attacked Anonymous' hackers |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=February 5, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26049448 |access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sparkes |first=Matthew |title=GCHQ turned UK hackers' attacks against them |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=February 6, 2014 |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet-security/10621771/GCHQ-turned-UK-hackers-attacks-against-them.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet-security/10621771/GCHQ-turned-UK-hackers-attacks-against-them.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=War on Anonymous: British Spies Attacked Hackers, Snowden Docs Show |work=[[NBC News]] |author=Mark Schone |author2=Richard Esposito |author3=Matthew Cole |author4=Glenn Greenwald |date=February 5, 2014 |author-link4=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/war-anonymous-british-spies-attacked-hackers-snowden-docs-show-n21361 |access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Snowden files: British intelligence agency describes attack on Anonymous |newspaper=[[NBC News]] Investigations |year=2012 |url=http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/snowden_anonymous_nbc_document.pdf |access-date=February 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206162716/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/snowden_anonymous_nbc_document.pdf |archive-date=February 6, 2014}}</ref>
The NSA Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program, which seeks to stockpile records on all calls made in the U.S., is collecting less than 30 percent of all Americans' call records because of an inability to keep pace with the explosion in cellphone use, according to ''The Washington Post''. The controversial program permits the NSA, after a warrant granted by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, to record numbers, length, and location of every call from the participating carriers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ellen |title=NSA is collecting less than 30 percent of U.S. call data, officials say |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 7, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-is-collecting-less-than-30-percent-of-us-call-data-officials-say/2014/02/07/234a0e9e-8fad-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_story.html |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|title=N.S.A. Program Gathers Data on a Third of Nation's Calls, Officials Say |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 7, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/us/politics/nsa-program-gathers-data-on-a-third-of-nations-calls-officials-say.html |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
''[[The Intercept]]'' reported that the U.S. government is using primarily NSA surveillance to target people for drone strikes overseas. In its report ''The Intercept'' author details the flawed methods that are used to locate targets for lethal drone strikes, resulting in the deaths of innocent people.<ref>{{cite news |title=The NSA's Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=February 10, 2014 |author1=Jeremy Scahill |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/ |access-date=February 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210072132/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/ |archive-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref> According to the Washington Post NSA analysts and collectors i.e. NSA personnel which controls electronic surveillance equipment use the NSA's sophisticated surveillance capabilities to track individual targets geographically and in real time, while drones and tactical units aimed their weaponry against those targets to take them out.<ref>{{cite news |last=Priest |first=Dana |title=NSA growth fueled by need to target terrorists |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 22, 2013 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-growth-fueled-by-need-to-target-terrorists/2013/07/21/24c93cf4-f0b1-11e2-bed3-b9b6fe264871_story.html |access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref>
An unnamed US law firm, reported to be [[Mayer Brown]], was targeted by Australia's [[Australian Signals Directorate|ASD]]. According to Snowden's documents, the ASD had offered to hand over these intercepted communications to the NSA. This allowed government authorities to be "able to continue to cover the talks, providing highly useful intelligence for interested US customers".<ref>{{cite news |author1=[[James Risen]]|author2=Laura Poitras |title=Spying by N.S.A. Ally Entangled U.S. Law Firm |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 15, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/eavesdropping-ensnared-american-law-firm.html |access-date=February 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Document Describes Eavesdropping on American Law Firm |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 17, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/document-describes-eavesdropping-on-american-law-firm.html |access-date=February 15, 2014}}</ref>
NSA and GCHQ documents revealed that the anti-secrecy organization [[WikiLeaks]] and other [[activist group]]s were targeted for government surveillance and criminal prosecution. In particular, the [[IP address]]es of visitors to WikiLeaks were collected in real time, and the US government urged its allies to file criminal charges against the founder of WikiLeaks, [[Julian Assange]], due to his organization's publication of the [[Afghan War documents leak|Afghanistan war logs]]. The WikiLeaks organization was designated as a "malicious foreign actor".<ref>{{cite news |author1=Glenn Greenwald |author-link=Glenn Greenwald |author2=Ryan Gallagher |title=Snowden Documents Reveal Covert Surveillance and Pressure Tactics Aimed at WikiLeaks and Its Supporters |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=February 18, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/18/snowden-docs-reveal-covert-surveillance-and-pressure-tactics-aimed-at-wikileaks-and-its-supporters |access-date=February 18, 2014}}</ref>
Quoting an unnamed NSA official in Germany, ''[[Bild am Sonntag]]'' reported that while President Obama's order to stop spying on Merkel was being obeyed, the focus had shifted to bugging other leading government and business figures, including Interior Minister [[Thomas de Maiziere]], a close confidant of Merkel. Caitlin Hayden, a security adviser to President Obama, was quoted in the newspaper report as saying, "The US has made clear it gathers intelligence in the same way as any other state."<ref name=ReutersMerkel>{{cite news |title=U.S. now bugging German ministers in place of Merkel: report |author=Sabine Siebold |date=February 23, 2014 |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-usa-spying-idUSBREA1M0IK20140223 |access-date=February 25, 2014}}</ref><ref name="NSAcontinuesGermansurveillance">{{cite news |title=Merkel's aides now on NSA radar, claims Dutch news report |date=February 24, 2014 |publisher=Germany News.Net |url=http://www.germanynews.net/index.php/sid/220216286/scat/0b761d844c35f1be/ht/Merkels-aides-now-on-NSA-radar-claims-Dutch-news-report |access-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140225015726/http://www.germanynews.net/index.php/sid/220216286/scat/0b761d844c35f1be/ht/Merkels-aides-now-on-NSA-radar-claims-Dutch-news-report |archive-date=February 25, 2014}}</ref>
''The Intercept'' reveals that government agencies are infiltrating online communities and engaging in "false flag operations" to discredit targets, among them people who have nothing to do with terrorism or national security threats. The two main tactics that are currently used are the injection of all sorts of false material onto the internet in order to destroy the reputation of its targets; and the use of social sciences and other techniques to manipulate online discourse and activism to generate outcomes it considers desirable.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Ryan Gallagher |author2=Glenn Greenwald |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |title=How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=February 24, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ |access-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140224234346/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Snowden-Enthüllungen: NSA plant Schadsoftware für die Massen |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 12, 2014 |language=de |url=https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/snowden-enthuellungen-nsa-setzt-auf-automatisierte-ueberwachung-a-958324.html |access-date=March 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA-Dokumente: So knackt der Geheimdienst Internetkonten; This photo gallery explains the function of the QUANTUM programm described in the 2014-02-12 The Intecept Article How the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware by Ryan Gallagher and Glenn Greenwald |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 12, 2014 |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/nsa-dokumente-so-knackt-der-geheimdienst-internetkonten-fotostrecke-105326-3.html |access-date=March 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA-Geheimdokumente: "Vorwärtsverteidigung" mit QFIRE |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=December 30, 2014 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/qfire-die-vorwaertsverteidigng-der-nsa-fotostrecke-105358.html |access-date=March 19, 2014 |quote=This photo gallery explains the QFIRE pilot program designed to attack internet connections within the framework of so called forward defense measures. The photo gallery is related to the 2014-02-12 The Intecept Article How the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware by Ryan Gallagher and Glenn Greenwald.}}</ref>
The Guardian reported that Britain's surveillance agency GCHQ, with aid from the National Security Agency, intercepted and stored the webcam images of millions of internet users not suspected of wrongdoing. The surveillance program codenamed [[Optic Nerve (GCHQ)|Optic Nerve]] collected still images of Yahoo webcam chats (one image every five minutes) in bulk and saved them to agency databases. The agency discovered "that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person", estimating that between 3% and 11% of the Yahoo webcam imagery harvested by GCHQ contains "undesirable nudity".<ref>{{cite news |author=Spencer Ackerman |author2=James Ball |title=UK spy agency intercepted webcam images of millions of Yahoo users |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 27, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/gchq-nsa-webcam-images-internet-yahoo |access-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref>
====March==== The NSA has built an infrastructure that enables it to covertly hack into computers on a mass scale by using automated systems that reduce the level of human oversight in the process. The NSA relies on an automated system codenamed [[TURBINE (US government project)|TURBINE]], which in essence enables the automated management and control of a large network of implants (a form of remotely transmitted malware on selected individual computer devices or in bulk on tens of thousands of devices). As quoted by ''The Intercept'', TURBINE is designed to "allow the current implant network to scale to large size (millions of implants) by creating a system that does automated control implants by groups instead of individually."<ref name="TC20140312">{{cite news |title=How the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 12, 2014 |author=Ryan Gallagher and Greenwald |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/ |access-date=March 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818084126/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/ |archive-date=August 18, 2014}}</ref> The NSA has shared many of its files on the use of implants with its counterparts in the so-called Five Eyes surveillance alliance – the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Among other things, due to TURBINE and its control over the implants, the NSA is capable of: * breaking into targeted computers and siphoning out data from foreign Internet and phone networks * infecting a target's computer and exfiltrating files from a hard drive * covertly recording audio from a computer's microphone and taking snapshots with its webcam * launching cyberattacks by corrupting and disrupting file downloads or denying access to websites * exfiltrating data from removable flash drives that connect to an infected computer
The TURBINE implants are linked to, and rely upon, a large network of clandestine surveillance "sensors" that the NSA has installed at locations across the world, including the agency's headquarters in Maryland and eavesdropping bases used by the agency in Misawa, Japan, and Menwith Hill, England. Codenamed TURMOIL, the sensors operate as a sort of high-tech surveillance dragnet, monitoring packets of data as they are sent across the Internet. When TURBINE implants exfiltrate data from infected computer systems, the TURMOIL sensors automatically identify the data and return it to the NSA for analysis. And when targets are communicating, the TURMOIL system can be used to send alerts or "tips" to TURBINE, enabling the initiation of a malware attack. To identify surveillance targets, the NSA uses a series of data "selectors" as they flow across Internet cables. These selectors can include email addresses, IP addresses, or the unique "cookies" containing a username or other identifying information that are sent to a user's computer by websites such as Google, Facebook, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Twitter, unique Google advertising cookies that track browsing habits, unique encryption key fingerprints that can be traced to a specific user, and computer IDs that are sent across the Internet when a Windows computer crashes or updates.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |title=Compare the NSA's Facebook Malware Denial to its Own Secret Documents |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 15, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/15/nsa-facebook-malware-turbine-non-denial-denial/ |access-date=March 23, 2014 |archive-date=March 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324180448/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/15/nsa-facebook-malware-turbine-non-denial-denial/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Industrial-Scale Exploitation |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 12, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/industrial-scale-exploitation/ |access-date=March 12, 2014 |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314075839/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/industrial-scale-exploitation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA Technology Directorate Analysis of Converged Data |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 12, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/nsa-technology-directorate-analysis-converged-data/ |access-date=March 12, 2014 |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314075825/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/nsa-technology-directorate-analysis-converged-data/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA Phishing Tactics and Man in the Middle Attacks |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 12, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/nsa-phishing-tactics-man-middle-attacks/ |access-date=March 12, 2014 |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314075838/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/12/nsa-phishing-tactics-man-middle-attacks/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The CIA was accused by U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein of spying on a stand-alone computer network established for the committee in its investigation of allegations of CIA abuse in a George W. Bush-era detention and interrogation program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lengell |first=Sean |title=Dianne Feinstein: CIA spied on Senate Intelligence Committee |newspaper=The Washington Examiner |date=March 11, 2014 |url=https://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2545465 |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref>
A voice interception program codenamed [[MYSTIC (surveillance program)|MYSTIC]] began in 2009. Along with RETRO, short for "retrospective retrieval" (RETRO is a voice audio recording buffer that allows retrieval of captured content up to 30 days into the past), the MYSTIC program is capable of recording "100 percent" of a foreign country's telephone calls, enabling the NSA to rewind and review conversations up to 30 days and the related metadata. With the capability to store up to 30 days of recorded conversations, MYSTIC enables the NSA to pull an instant history of the person's movements, associates, and plans.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA surveillance program reaches 'into the past' to retrieve, replay phone calls |author1=Barton Gellman |author2=Ashkan Soltani |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-surveillance-program-reaches-into-the-past-to-retrieve-replay-phone-calls/2014/03/18/226d2646-ade9-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html |access-date=March 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA PowerPoint art: Greatest hits, vol. 1 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 19, 2014 |author1=Christopher Ingraham |author2=Andrea Peterson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/19/nsa-powerpoint-art-greatest-hits-vol-1/?tid=up_next |access-date=March 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Abhörprogramm Mystic: NSA schneidet alle Telefonate eines Landes mit |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 18, 2014 |language=de |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/mystic-nsa-schneidet-kompletten-telefonverkehr-eines-landes-mit-a-959500.html |access-date=March 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NSA symbolizes data-collection program with wizard |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2014 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/nsa-symbolizes-data-collection-program-with-wizard/880/ |access-date=March 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320012342/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/nsa-symbolizes-data-collection-program-with-wizard/880/ |archive-date=March 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Description of data collection by NSA under MYSTIC |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2014 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/description-of-data-collection-by-nsa-under-mystic/879/ |access-date=March 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320023652/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/description-of-data-collection-by-nsa-under-mystic/879/ |archive-date=March 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Adding a country to MYSTIC efforts mentioned |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2014 |url=https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/adding-a-country-to-mystic-efforts-mentioned/881/ |access-date=March 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320023719/http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/adding-a-country-to-mystic-efforts-mentioned/881/ |archive-date=March 20, 2014}}</ref>
On March 21, ''[[Le Monde]]'' published slides from an internal presentation of the [[Communications Security Establishment Canada]], which attributed a piece of malicious software to French intelligence. The CSEC presentation concluded that the list of malware victims matched French intelligence priorities and found French cultural reference in the malware's code, including the name [[Babar the Elephant|Babar]], a popular French children's character, and the developer name "Titi".<ref>{{cite news |title=Quand les Canadiens partent en chasse de " Babar " |newspaper=Le Monde |date=March 21, 2014 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2014/03/21/quand-les-canadiens-partent-en-chasse-de-babar_4387233_3210.html |access-date=March 21, 2014}}</ref>
The French telecommunications corporation [[Orange S.A.]] shares its call data with the French intelligence agency DGSE, which hands over the intercepted data to GCHQ.<ref>{{cite news |last=Follorou |first=Jacques |title=Espionnage : comment Orange et les services secrets coopèrent |work=[[Le Monde]] |language=fr |date=March 20, 2014 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2014/03/20/dgse-orange-des-liaisons-incestueuses_4386264_3210.html |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref>
{{anchor|Huawei}}The NSA has spied on the Chinese technology company [[Huawei]].<ref name="NYT20140322">{{cite news |title=N.S.A. Breached Chinese Servers Seen as Security Threat |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 22, 2014 |author1=[[David E. Sanger]]|author2=Nicole Perlroth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/world/asia/nsa-breached-chinese-servers-seen-as-spy-peril.html |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Slides Describe Mission Involving Huawei |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 22, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/03/23/world/asia/23nsa-docs.html |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Jacobs|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Jacobs (journalist)|title=After Reports on N.S.A., China Urges End to Spying |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 24, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/world/asia/after-reports-on-nsa-china-urges-halt-to-cyberspying.html |access-date=March 25, 2014}}</ref> Huawei is a leading manufacturer of smartphones, tablets, mobile phone infrastructure, and WLAN routers and installs fiber optic cable. According to ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' this "kind of technology ... is decisive in the NSA's battle for data supremacy."<ref name="Spiegel20140322"/> The NSA, in an operation named "Shotgiant", was able to access Huawei's email archive and the source code for Huawei's communications products.<ref name="Spiegel20140322">{{cite web |title=Targeting Huawei: NSA Spied on Chinese Government and Networking Firm |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 23, 2014 |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-spied-on-chinese-government-and-networking-firm-huawei-a-960199.html |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref> The US government has had longstanding concerns that Huawei may not be independent of the [[People's Liberation Army]] and that the Chinese government might use equipment manufactured by Huawei to conduct cyberespionage or cyberwarfare. The goals of the NSA operation were to assess the relationship between Huawei and the PLA, to learn more about the Chinese government's plans, and to use information from Huawei to spy on Huawei's customers, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, and Cuba. Former Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]], the Chinese Trade Ministry, banks, as well as telecommunications companies, were also targeted by the NSA.<ref name="NYT20140322"/><ref name="Spiegel20140322"/>
''The Intercept'' published a document of an NSA employee discussing how to build a database of IP addresses, webmail, and Facebook accounts associated with system administrators so that the NSA can gain access to the networks and systems they administer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inside the NSA's Secret Efforts to Hunt and Hack System Administrators |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 22, 2014 |author1=Ryan Gallagher |author2=Peter Maass |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/20/inside-nsa-secret-efforts-hunt-hack-system-administrators/ |access-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411054544/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/20/inside-nsa-secret-efforts-hunt-hack-system-administrators/ |archive-date=April 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=I Hunt Sys Admins |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 20, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/20/hunt-sys-admins/ |access-date=March 23, 2014 |archive-date=March 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323195608/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2014/03/20/hunt-sys-admins/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
At the end of March 2014, ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' and ''The Intercept'' published, based on a series of classified files from the archive provided to reporters by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, articles related to espionage efforts by GCHQ and NSA in Germany.<ref name="TI20140329"/><ref name="SPIEGEL20140328">{{cite news |title='A' for Angela Merkel: GCHQ and NSA Targeted Private German Companies |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=March 28, 2014 |author1=Laura Poitras |author2=Marcel Rosenbach |author3=Holger Stark |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/gchq-and-nsa-targeted-private-german-companies-a-961444.html |access-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref> The British GCHQ targeted three German internet firms for information about Internet traffic passing through internet exchange points, important customers of the German internet providers, their technology suppliers as well as future technical trends in their business sector and company employees.<ref name="TI20140329"/><ref name="SPIEGEL20140328"/> The NSA was granted by the [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court]] the authority for blanket surveillance of Germany, its people and institutions, regardless whether those affected are suspected of having committed an offense or not, without an individualized court order specifying on March 7, 2013.<ref name="SPIEGEL20140328"/> In addition, Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel was listed in a surveillance search machine and database named Nymrod along with 121 other foreign leaders.<ref name="TI20140329"/><ref name="SPIEGEL20140328"/> As ''The Intercept'' wrote: "The NSA uses the Nymrod system to 'find information relating to targets that would otherwise be tough to track down,' according to internal NSA documents. Nymrod sifts through secret reports based on intercepted communications as well as full transcripts of faxes, phone calls, and communications collected from computer systems. More than 300 'cites' for Merkel are listed as available in intelligence reports and transcripts for NSA operatives to read."<ref name="TI20140329">{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |title=Der Spiegel: NSA Put Merkel on List of 122 Targeted Leaders |newspaper=[[The Intercept]] |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/29/der-spiegel-nsa-ghcq-hacked-german-companies-put-merkel-list-122-targeted-leaders/ |access-date=March 30, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329195608/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/29/der-spiegel-nsa-ghcq-hacked-german-companies-put-merkel-list-122-targeted-leaders/ |archive-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref>
====April==== Toward the end of April, Edward Snowden said that the United States surveillance agencies spy on Americans more than anyone else in the world, contrary to anything that has been said by the government up until this point.<ref>{{cite news |last=Volz Dustin |first=Dustin |title=Edward Snowden: NSA Spies Most on Americans |newspaper=National Journal |date=April 30, 2014 |url=https://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/edward-snowden-nsa-spies-most-on-americans-20140430 |access-date=May 5, 2014}}</ref>
====May==== An article published by Ars Technica shows NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) employees intercepting a Cisco router.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |title=Photos of an NSA "upgrade" factory show Cisco router getting implant |website=Ars Technica |date=May 14, 2014 |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/photos-of-an-nsa-upgrade-factory-show-cisco-router-getting-implant/ |access-date=August 3, 2014}}</ref>
''The Intercept'' and [[WikiLeaks]] revealed information about which countries were having their communications collected as part of the [[MYSTIC (surveillance program)|MYSTIC]] surveillance program. On May 19, ''The Intercept'' reported that the NSA is recording and archiving nearly every cell phone conversation in the Bahamas with a system called SOMALGET, a subprogram of [[MYSTIC (surveillance program)|MYSTIC]]. The mass surveillance has been occurring without the Bahamian government's permission.<ref name="data pirates">{{cite web |last1=Devereaux |first1=Ryan |last2=Greenwald |first2=Glenn |author-link2=Glenn Greenwald |last3=Poitras |first3=Laura |title=Data Pirates of the Caribbean: The NSA Is Recording Every Cell Phone Call in the Bahamas |work=[[The Intercept]] |publisher=[[First Look Media]] |date=May 19, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/05/19/data-pirates-caribbean-nsa-recording-every-cell-phone-call-bahamas/ |access-date=May 21, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521045928/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/05/19/data-pirates-caribbean-nsa-recording-every-cell-phone-call-bahamas/ |archive-date=May 21, 2014}}</ref> Aside from the Bahamas, ''The Intercept'' reported NSA interception of cell phone metadata in [[Kenya]], the [[Philippines]], [[Mexico]], and a fifth country it did not name due to "credible concerns that doing so could lead to increased violence." WikiLeaks released a statement on May 23 claiming that [[Afghanistan]] was the unnamed nation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach |title=The Intercept Wouldn't Reveal a Country the U.S. Is Spying On, So WikiLeaks Did Instead |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=May 23, 2014 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/intercept-wouldnt-reveal-country-us-spying-so-wikileaks-did-instead-252320 |access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>
In a statement responding to the revelations, the NSA said "the implication that NSA's foreign intelligence collection is arbitrary and unconstrained is false."<ref name="data pirates"/>
Through its global surveillance operations, the NSA exploits the flood of images included in emails, text messages, social media, videoconferencing,s and other communications to harvest millions of images. These images are then used by the NSA in sophisticated [[facial recognition system|facial recognition programs]] to track suspected terrorists and other intelligence targets.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Risen |first1=James|author-link=James Risen|last2=Poitras |first2=Laura |title=N.S.A. Collecting Millions of Faces From Web Images |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 31, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/us/nsa-collecting-millions-of-faces-from-web-images.html |access-date=June 19, 2014}}</ref>
====June==== [[Vodafone]] revealed that there were secret wires that allowed government agencies direct access to their networks.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires>{{cite news |title=Vodafone reveals existence of secret wires that allow state surveillance |last=Garside |first=Juliette |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/06/vodafone-reveals-secret-wires-allowing-state-surveillance |access-date=June 6, 2014}}</ref> This access does not require warrants, and the direct access wire is often equipped in a locked room.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> In six countries where Vodafone operates, the law requires telecommunication companies to install such access or allows governments to do so.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> Vodafone did not name these countries in case some governments retaliated by imprisoning their staff.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> [[Shami Chakrabarti]] of [[Liberty (pressure group)|Liberty]] said "For governments to access phone calls at the flick of a switch is unprecedented and terrifying. Snowden revealed the internet was already treated as fair game. Bluster that all is well is wearing pretty thin – our analogue laws need a digital overhaul."<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> Vodafone published its first Law Enforcement Disclosure Report on June 6, 2014.<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> Vodafone group privacy officer Stephen Deadman said, "These pipes exist, the direct access model exists. We are making a call to end direct access as a means of government agencies obtaining people's communication data. Without an official warrant, there is no external visibility. If we receive a demand, we can push back against the agency. The fact that a government has to issue a piece of paper is an important constraint on how powers are used."<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/> Gus Hosein, director of [[Privacy International]], said, "I never thought the telcos would be so complicit. It's a brave step by Vodafone, and hopefully the other telcos will become braver with disclosure, but what we need is for them to be braver about fighting back against the illegal requests and the laws themselves."<ref name=guardian-vodafone-reveals-existence-of-secret-wires/>
Above-[[Top Secret|top-secret]] documentation of a covert surveillance program named Overseas Processing Centre 1 (OPC-1) (codenamed "CIRCUIT") by [[GCHQ]] was published by ''[[The Register]]''. Based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, GCHQ taps into undersea fiber optic cables via secret spy bases near the [[Strait of Hormuz]] and Yemen. [[BT Group|BT]] and [[Vodafone]] are implicated.<ref>Duncan Campbell, [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/03/revealed_beyond_top_secret_british_intelligence_middleeast_internet_spy_base/ "Revealed: Beyond top secret British intelligence Middleeast Internet spy base"], ''[[The Register]]'', June 3, 2014.</ref>
The Danish newspaper ''Dagbladet Information'' and ''The Intercept'' revealed on June 19, 2014, the NSA mass surveillance program codenamed [[RAMPART-A]]. Under RAMPART-A, 'third-party' countries tap into fiber optic cables carrying the majority of the world's electronic communications and are secretly allowing the NSA to install surveillance equipment on these fiber-optic cables. The foreign partners of the NSA turn massive amounts of data, like the content of phone calls, faxes, e-mails, internet chats, data from virtual private networks, and calls made using Voice over IP software like Skype,e over to the NSA. In return, these partners receive access to the NSA's sophisticated surveillance equipment so that they too can spy on the mass of data that flows in and out of their territory. Among the partners participating in the NSA mass surveillance program are Denmark and Germany.<ref>{{cite news |title=NSA 'third party' partners tap the Internet backbone in global surveillance program |work=Dagbladet Information |date=June 19, 2014 |url=https://www.information.dk/501280 |access-date=June 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jensen |first1=Kristian |title=Documentation: The Snowden files |work=Dagbladet Information |date=June 19, 2014 |url=https://www.information.dk/databloggen/501278 |access-date=June 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Ryan |title=How Secret Partners Expand NSA's Surveillance Dragnet |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=June 19, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/06/18/nsa-surveillance-secret-cable-partners-revealed-rampart-a |access-date=June 18, 2014 |archive-date=August 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816010303/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/06/18/nsa-surveillance-secret-cable-partners-revealed-rampart-a |url-status=dead }}</ref>
====July==== During the week of July 4, a 31-year-old male employee of [[Germany]]'s intelligence service [[Bundesnachrichtendienst|BND]] was arrested on suspicion of [[espionage|spying]] for the [[United States]]. The employee is suspected of spying on the [[German Parliamentary Committee investigating the NSA spying scandal]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Germany arrests man suspected of spying for US |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=July 4, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28160767 |access-date=August 3, 2014}}</ref>
Former NSA official and whistleblower [[William Binney (U.S. intelligence official)|William Binney]] spoke at a [[Centre for Investigative Journalism]] conference in London. According to Binney, "at least 80% of all audio calls, not just metadata, are recorded and stored in the US. The NSA lies about what it stores." He also stated that the majority of [[optical fiber cable|fiber optic cables]] run through the U.S., which "is no accident and allows the US to view all communication coming in."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lowenstein |first1=Antony |title=The ultimate goal of the NSA is total population control |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 10, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/11/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-nsa-is-total-population-control |access-date=July 13, 2014}}</ref>
''[[The Washington Post]]'' released a review of a cache provided by Snowden containing roughly 160,000 text messages and e-mails intercepted by the NSA between 2009 and 2012. The newspaper concluded that nine out of ten account holders whose conversations were recorded by the agency "were not the intended surveillance targets but were caught in a net the agency had cast for somebody else." In its analysis, ''The Post'' also noted that many of the account holders were Americans.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gellman |first1=Barton |last2=Tate |first2=Julie |last3=Soltani |first3=Ashkan |title=In NSA-intercepted data, those not targeted far outnumber the foreigners who are |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 5, 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-nsa-intercepted-data-those-not-targeted-far-outnumber-the-foreigners-who-are/2014/07/05/8139adf8-045a-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html |access-date=Feb 10, 2018}}</ref>
On July 9, a soldier working within [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence]] (BMVg) fell under suspicion of spying for the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=US spying row: Germany investigates new case |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=July 9, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28228647 |access-date=August 3, 2014}}</ref> As a result of the July 4 case and this one, the German government expelled the CIA station chief in Germany on July 17.<ref>{{cite web |author=AFP in Berlin |title=CIA station chief ordered out of Germany has left, US confirms |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 17, 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/17/cia-station-chief-germany-us-leaves |access-date=August 3, 2014}}</ref>
On July 18, former State Department official [[John Tye (whistleblower)|John Tye]] released an editorial in ''The Washington Post'', highlighting concerns over data collection under [[Executive Order 12333]]. Tye's concerns are rooted in classified material he had access to through the State Department, though he has not publicly released any classified materials.<ref name="ars">{{cite web |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |title=Meet John Tye: the kinder, gentler, and by-the-book whistleblower |work=[[Ars Technica]] |date=August 20, 2014 |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/08/meet-john-tye-the-kinder-gentler-and-by-the-book-whistleblower/ |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref>
====August==== ''The Intercept'' reported that the NSA is "secretly providing data to nearly two dozen U.S. government agencies with a 'Google-like' search engine" called ICREACH. The database, ''The Intercept'' reported, is accessible to domestic law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]], and was built to contain more than 850 billion metadata records about phone calls, emails, cellphone locations, and text messages.<ref name="Intercept">{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |title=The Surveillance Engine: How the NSA Built Its Own Secret Google |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=August 25, 2014 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/25/icreach-nsa-cia-secret-google-crisscross-proton/ |access-date=October 27, 2014 |archive-date=June 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612183537/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/25/icreach-nsa-cia-secret-google-crisscross-proton/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="PBS">{{cite web |last=Pullam-Moore |first=Charles |title=Google-like NSA search engine implemented to learn about civilians |work=[[PBS]] |date=August 25, 2014 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/google-like-nsa-search-engine-icreach-used-learn-civilians}}</ref>
===2015===
====February==== Based on documents obtained from Snowden, ''The Intercept'' reported that the [[NSA]] and [[GCHQ]] had broken into the internal computer network of [[Gemalto]] and stolen the encryption keys that are used in [[subscriber identity module|SIM cards]] no later than 2010. {{As of|2015}}, the company is the world's largest manufacturer of SIM cards, making about two billion cards a year. With the keys, the intelligence agencies could eavesdrop on cell phones without the knowledge of mobile phone operators or foreign governments.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Great SIM Heist – How Spies Stole the Keys to the Encryption Castle |website=[[The Intercept]] |date=February 19, 2015 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/19/great-sim-heist/ |access-date=March 11, 2015 |archive-date=February 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219200149/https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/19/great-sim-heist/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
====March==== ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'', in partnership with ''The Intercept'', revealed that the New Zealand government used XKeyscore to spy on candidates for the position of [[World Trade Organization]] director general<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Ryan |last2=Hager |first2=Nicky |title=New Zealand Spied on WTO Director Candidates |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 22, 2015 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/22/new-zealand-gcsb-spying-wto-director-general/ |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> and also members of the [[Solomon Islands]] government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Ryan |last2=Hager |first2=Nicky |title=New Zealand Used NSA System to Target Officials, Anti-Corruption Campaigner |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=March 14, 2015 |url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/14/new-zealand-xkeyscore-solomon-islands-nsa-targets/ |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>
====April==== In January 2015, the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] revealed that it had been collecting metadata records for all telephone calls made by Americans to 116 countries linked to drug trafficking. The DEA's program was separate from the telephony metadata programs run by the NSA.<ref name=DEAmetadataJanuary>{{cite news |title=Feds kept separate phone record database on U.S. calls |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=January 16, 2015 |last=Johnson |first=Kevin |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/16/phone-database-justice/21868063/ |access-date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> In April, ''[[USA Today]]'' reported that the DEA's data collection program began in 1992 and included all telephone calls between the United States and from Canada and Mexico. Current and former DEA officials described the program as the precursor of the NSA's similar programs.<ref name=DEAmetadataApril>{{cite news |title=U.S. secretly tracked billions of calls for decades |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=April 8, 2015 |last=Heath |first=Brad |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/07/dea-bulk-telephone-surveillance-operation/70808616/}}</ref> The DEA said its program was suspended in September 2013, after a review of the NSA's programs and that it was "ultimately terminated."<ref name=DEAmetadataJanuary/>
====September==== Snowden provided journalists at ''The Intercept'' with GCHQ documents regarding another secret program "[[Karma Police (surveillance program)|Karma Police]]", calling itself "the world's biggest" data mining operation, formed to create profiles on every visible [[Internet user]]'s [[user behavior analytics|browsing habits]]. By 2009, it had stored over 1.1 trillion web browsing sessions, and by 2012 was recording 50 billion sessions per day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Profiled: From Radio to Porn, British Spies Track Web Users' Online Identities |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=25 September 2015 |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |author-link=Ryan Gallagher |url=https://theintercept.com/2015/09/25/gchq-radio-porn-spies-track-web-users-online-identities/ |access-date=30 August 2019}}</ref>
===2016=== {{Update|section|date=July 2018}}
====January==== {{Expand section|date=January 2016}} * [[National Security Agency|NSA]] documents show the [[US]] and [[UK]] spied on [[Israel]]i military drones and fighter jets.<ref>{{cite web |title=NSA documents show US, UK spied on Israeli drones - CNNPolitics.com |author=Jose Pagliery |date=January 29, 2016 |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/29/politics/us-uk-israel-drones/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=GCHQ and the NSA spied on Israeli drone video feeds |author=Ashley Carman |date=January 29, 2016 |work=[[The Verge]] |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/29/10872860/gchq-nsa-drone-spy-snowden}}</ref>
====August==== * A group called ''[[The Shadow Brokers]]'' says it infiltrated NSA's [[Equation Group]] and teases files including some named in documents leaked by [[Edward Snowden]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hacking group auctions 'cyber weapons' stolen from NSA |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 16, 2016 |last1=Solon |first1=Olivia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/16/shadow-brokers-hack-auction-nsa-malware-equation-group}}</ref> Among the products affected by the leaked material was [[Cisco PIX#Security Vulnerabilities|Cisco PIX and ASA]] [[virtual private network|VPN]] boxes.
==Reaction== {{Main|Reactions to global surveillance disclosures}}
===Public perception=== The disclosure provided impetus for the creation of [[social movement]]s against mass surveillance, such as [[Restore the Fourth]], and actions like [[Stop Watching Us]] and [[The Day We Fight Back]]. <!--[[Domestic spying program]]s in countries such as France, the UK, and India have also been exposed.--> On the legal front, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] joined a [[coalition]] of diverse groups filing suit against the NSA. Several [[human rights organizations]] urged the [[Obama personnel|Obama administration]] not to prosecute, but protect, "[[whistleblower]] Snowden": [[Amnesty International]], [[Human Rights Watch]], [[Transparency International]], and the [[Index on Censorship]], among others.<ref>{{cite web |title=USA must not persecute whistleblower Edward Snowden |publisher=[[Amnesty International]] |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/news/usa-must-not-persecute-whistleblower-edward-snowden-2013-07-02 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028212525/http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/usa-must-not-persecute-whistleblower-edward-snowden-2013-07-02 |archive-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=US: Statement on Protection of Whistleblowers in Security Sector |publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] |date=June 18, 2013 |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/18/us-statement-protection-whistleblowers-security-sector |access-date=August 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Transparency International Germany |title=Transparency International Germany: Whistleblower Prize 2013 for Edward Snowden |publisher=[[Transparency International]] |url=http://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/transparency_international_germany_whistleblower_prize_2013_for_edward_snow |access-date=August 16, 2013 |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831025655/https://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/transparency_international_germany_whistleblower_prize_2013_for_edward_snow |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=US needs to protect whistleblowers and journalists |publisher=[[Index on Censorship]] |date=June 24, 2013 |url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/06/us-needs-to-protect-whistleblowers-and-journalists/ |access-date=August 16, 2013}}</ref> On the economic front, several consumer surveys registered a drop in online shopping and banking activity as a result of the Snowden revelations.<ref>[https://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/04/03/post-snowden-some-internet-usage-is-contracting-study-finds/ Wall Street Journal]</ref>
However, it is argued long-term impact on the general population is negligible, as "the general public has still failed to adopt privacy-enhancing tools en masse."<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Snowden effect: Three years after Edward Snowden's mass-surveillance leaks, does the public care how they are watched? |author=Charlie Smith [pseudonym] |journal=Index on Censorship |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=48–50 |date=2016-09-01 |doi=10.1177/0306422016670343 |doi-access=free |s2cid=152000802 }}</ref> A research study that tracked the interest in privacy-related webpages following the incident found that the public's interest reduced quickly, despite continuous discussion by the media about the events.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Preibusch |first=Sören |date=2015-04-23 |title=Privacy behaviors after Snowden |journal=[[Communications of the ACM]]|volume=58 |issue=5 |pages=48–55 |issn=0001-0782 |doi=10.1145/2663341 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
===Reactions of political leaders===
====United States==== {{See also|Mass surveillance in the United States}} [[File:US President Barack Obama, surveillance activities, June 2013.ogv|thumb|On June 7, 2013, President [[Barack Obama|Obama]] emphasized the importance of surveillance to prevent [[terrorism|terrorist attacks]]]] Domestically, President [[Barack Obama]] claimed that there is "no spying on Americans",<ref name="auto">{{cite news |author1=Mike Dorning |author2=Chris Strohm |title=Court Finding of Domestic Spying Risks Obama Credibility |publisher=[[Bloomberg Television]] |date=August 23, 2013 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-23/court-finding-of-domestic-spying-risks-obama-credibility.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Adam Serwer |title=Obama says 'there is no spying on Americans,' but what about our data? |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |date=August 7, 2013 |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-says-there-no-spying-americans |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> and [[White House]] Press Secretary [[Jay Carney]] asserted that the surveillance programs revealed by Snowden have been authorized by Congress.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney |date=June 13, 2013 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/13/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-6132013 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>
On the international front, U.S. Attorney General [[Eric Holder]] stated that "we cannot target even foreign persons overseas without a valid foreign intelligence purpose."<ref>{{cite news |title=Holder: Leaks damaged U.S. security |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=June 15, 2013 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/14/world/europe/nsa-leaks/ |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>
====United Kingdom==== {{See also|Mass surveillance in the United Kingdom}} Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] warned journalists that "if they don't demonstrate some social responsibility, it will be very difficult for the government to stand back and not to act."<ref>{{cite news |title=Cameron says may act against press over spy leaks |work=[[Reuters]] |date=October 28, 2013 |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-spying-cameron-idUKBRE99O0K120131028 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223085526/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-spying-cameron-idUKBRE99O0K120131028 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 23, 2015 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Nick Clegg]] emphasized that the media should "absolutely defend the principle of secrecy for the intelligence agencies".<ref name="auto1">{{cite news |last=Rob Williams |title=Snowden leaks published by the Guardian were damaging to security, says Nick Clegg |work=[[The Independent]] |date=October 10, 2013 |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/snowden-leaks-published-by-the-guardian-were-damaging-to-security-says-nick-clegg-8871894.html |access-date=January 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123182259/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/snowden-leaks-published-by-the-guardian-were-damaging-to-security-says-nick-clegg-8871894.html |archive-date=January 23, 2014}}</ref>
Foreign Secretary [[William Hague]] claimed that "we take great care to balance individual privacy with our duty to safeguard the public and UK national security."<ref name="auto2">{{cite news |last=Janet Stobart |title=Britain denies using PRISM to get around domestic spying laws |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 10, 2013 |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-britain-nsa-prism-surveillance-program-20130610-story.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> Hague defended the [[Five Eyes]] alliance and reiterated that the British-U.S. intelligence relationship must not be endangered because it "saved many lives".<ref>{{cite news |title=Intelligence sharing lawful, Hague says after US talks |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=June 12, 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22883340 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
====Australia==== {{See also|Mass surveillance in Australia}} Former Prime Minister [[Tony Abbott]] stated that "every Australian governmental agency, every Australian official at home and abroad, operates in accordance with the law".<ref name="auto3">{{cite news |title=Abbott offers Australian spy assurance |work=[[The Australian]] |date=October 31, 2013 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-offers-australian-spy-assurance/story-fn59niix-1226750534569 |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref> Abbott criticized the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] for being unpatriotic due to its reporting on the documents provided by Snowden, whom Abbott described as a "traitor".<ref>{{cite news |last=Pearlman |first=Jonathan |title=Tony Abbott says ABC unpatriotic |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=January 29, 2014 |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10604115/Tony-Abbott-says-ABC-unpatriotic.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/10604115/Tony-Abbott-says-ABC-unpatriotic.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Australia's Tony Abbott calls broadcaster ABC unpatriotic |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=January 29, 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25925312 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> Foreign Minister [[Julie Bishop]] also denounced Snowden as a traitor and accused him of "unprecedented" treachery.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Malley |first=Nick |title=Julie Bishop welcomes US intelligence reforms, lashes Edward Snowden |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=January 23, 2014 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/julie-bishop-welcomes-us-intelligence-reforms-lashes-edward-snowden-20140123-hv9j5.html |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> Bishop defended the [[Five Eyes]] alliance and reiterated that the Australian–U.S. intelligence relationship must not be endangered because it "saves lives".<ref>{{cite news |last=Nicholson |first=Brendan |title=Allied spying saves lives: Julie Bishop |work=[[The Australian]] |date=January 23, 2014 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/allied-spying-saves-lives-julie-bishop/story-e6frg8yo-1226808057863# |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
==== China ==== Chinese policymakers became increasingly concerned about the risk of cyberattacks following the disclosures, which demonstrated extensive [[American espionage in China|United States intelligence activities in China]].<ref name=":Zhang">{{Cite book |last=Zhang |first=Angela Huyue |title=High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=9780197682258}}</ref>{{Rp|page=129}} As part of its response, the [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]] in 2014 formed the Cybersecurity and Information [[Leading Small Group|Leading Group]].<ref name=":Zhang" />{{Rp|page=129}}
====Germany==== {{see also|German Parliamentary Committee investigating the NSA spying scandal}} [[File:201311PrismBundestag56.jpg|thumb|Lawyers and judges protest boundless monitoring at PRISM debate in Germany, 18 November 2013]] In July 2013, Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] defended the surveillance practices of the NSA, and described the United States as "our truest ally throughout the decades".<ref>{{cite web |title=German Chancellor Merkel Defends Work of Intelligence Agencies |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=July 10, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-chancellor-merkel-defends-work-of-intelligence-agencies-a-910491.html |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Germany's Merkel rejects NSA-Stasi comparison |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 10, 2013 |df=mdy |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/germanys-merkel-rejects-nsa-stasi-comparison |access-date=December 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826143738/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/germanys-merkel-rejects-nsa-stasi-comparison |archive-date=August 26, 2013}}</ref> After the NSA's surveillance on Merkel was revealed, however, the Chancellor compared the NSA with the [[Stasi]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rayman |first=Noah |title=Merkel Compared NSA To Stasi in Complaint To Obama |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=December 18, 2013 |url=https://world.time.com/2013/12/18/nsa-leaks-germany-merkel-obama-stasi/ |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Berlin]] is using the controversy over NSA spying as leverage to enter the exclusive [[Five Eyes]] alliance.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Ewen MacAskill |author2=James Ball |title=Portrait of the NSA: no detail too small in quest for total surveillance |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 2, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/02/nsa-portrait-total-surveillance |access-date=February 1, 2014 |quote=Amid the German protestations of outrage over US eavesdropping on Merkel and other Germans, Berlin is using the controversy as leverage for an upgrade to 5-Eyes.}}</ref>
Interior Minister [[Hans-Peter Friedrich]] stated that "the Americans take our [[information privacy|data privacy]] concerns seriously."<ref name="auto4">{{cite news |title=German Interior Minister Friedrich Discusses NSA Spying Affair |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=August 28, 2013 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-interior-minister-friedrich-discusses-nsa-spying-affair-a-918770.html |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> Testifying before the [[Bundestag|German Parliament]], Friedrich defended the NSA's surveillance, and cited five terrorist plots on German soil that were prevented because of the NSA.<ref>{{cite web |title=Itching to ask: What does Merkel know about NSA surveillance? |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=July 17, 2013 |url=http://www.dw.de/itching-to-ask-what-does-merkel-know-about-nsa-surveillance/a-16957061 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> However, in April 2014, another German interior minister criticized the United States for failing to provide sufficient assurances to Germany that it had reined in its spying tactics. [[Thomas de Maiziere]], a close ally of Merkel, told ''[[Der Spiegel]]'': "U.S. intelligence methods may be justified to a large extent by security needs, but the tactics are excessive and over-the-top."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barkin |first1=Noah |title=Merkel ally says U.S. assurances on NSA spying 'insufficient' |work=[[Reuters]] |date=April 6, 2014 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-usa-spying-idUSBREA350AP20140406 |access-date=April 6, 2014}}</ref>
====Sweden==== [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)|Minister for Foreign Affairs]] [[Carl Bildt]], defended the [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)|FRA]] and described its surveillance practices as a "national necessity".<ref name="auto5">{{cite news |title=Carl Bildt defends FRA surveillance as 'necessary' |newspaper=[[Sveriges Radio]] |date=December 13, 2013 |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=5733081 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> [[Minister for Defence (Sweden)|Minister for Defence]] [[Karin Enström]] said that Sweden's intelligence exchange with other countries is "critical for our security" and that "intelligence operations occur within a framework with clear legislation, strict controls and under parliamentary oversight."<ref>{{cite web |title=FRA spionerar på Ryssland åt USA |publisher=TT/[[Sydsvenskan]] |url=http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sverige/fra-spionerar-pa-ryssland-at-usa/ |access-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312015004/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sverige/fra-spionerar-pa-ryssland-at-usa/ |archive-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=FRA spionerar på Ryssland åt USA |publisher=TT/[[Ny Teknik]] |url=http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/allmant/article3792082.ece |access-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613000622/http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/it_telekom/allmant/article3792082.ece |archive-date=June 13, 2014}}</ref>
====Netherlands==== Interior Minister [[Ronald Plasterk]] apologized for incorrectly claiming that the NSA had collected 1.8 million records of metadata in the Netherlands. Plasterk acknowledged that it was in fact Dutch intelligence services who collected the records and transferred them to the NSA.<ref>{{cite news |last=van Tartwijk |first=Maarten |title=Dutch Minister of Interior Fights for His Political Life |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=February 11, 2014 |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303650204579376690694583138 |access-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Coevert |first=Annemarie |title=Plasterk biedt excuses aan, maar verdedigt achterhouden informatie |work=[[NRC Handelsblad]] |language=nl |date=February 11, 2014 |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2014/02/11/plasterk-biedt-excuus-aan-voor-verstrekken-foute-informatie/ |access-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref>
====Denmark==== The Danish Prime Minister [[Helle Thorning-Schmidt]] has praised the American intelligence agencies, claiming they have prevented terrorist attacks in Denmark, and expressed her personal belief that the Danish people "should be grateful" for the Americans' surveillance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valget skal vindes på at vise forskellen |date=September 11, 2013 |publisher=PioPio |url=https://piopio.dk/valget-skal-vindes-pa-at-vise-forskellen/ |access-date=March 26, 2014}}</ref> She has later claimed that the Danish authorities have no basis for assuming that American intelligence agencies have performed illegal spying activities toward Denmark or Danish interests.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thorning afviser ulovlig amerikansk overvågning |work=Berlingske Tidende |date=January 30, 2014 |url=http://www.b.dk/politiko/thorning-afviser-ulovlig-amerikansk-overvaagning |access-date=March 26, 2014}}</ref> <!-- {| class="wikitable" |- ! Country ! Government official ! Quote |- |rowspan=3|{{flagu|United States}} |[[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] | "''There is no spying on Americans''" (August 7)<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Adam Serwer |title=Obama says 'there is no spying on Americans,' but what about our data? |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |date=August 7, 2013 |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-says-there-no-spying-americans |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> |- |[[White House Press Secretary]] [[Jay Carney]] | "''They are programs that were authorized by Congress''" (June 13)<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 6/13/2013 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/13/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-6132013 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> |- |[[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[Eric Holder]] |"''We cannot target even foreign persons overseas without a valid foreign intelligence purpose.''" (June 14)<ref>{{cite news |title=Holder: Leaks damaged U.S. security |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=June 15, 2013 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/14/world/europe/nsa-leaks/ |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> |- | rowspan=3|{{flagu|United Kingdom}} |Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] |"''If they (the media) don't demonstrate some social responsibility it will be very difficult for government to stand back and not to act''" (October 28)<ref>{{cite news |title=Cameron says may act against press over spy leaks |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=October 28, 2013 |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-spying-cameron-idUKBRE99O0K120131028 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223085526/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-spying-cameron-idUKBRE99O0K120131028 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 23, 2015 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> |- |[[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]] [[William Hague]] | "''We take great care to balance individual privacy with our duty to safeguard the public and UK national security''" (June 10)<ref name="auto2"/> |- |[[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Nick Clegg]] | "''You must absolutely defend the principle of secrecy for the intelligence agencies''" (October 10)<ref name="auto1"/> |- |{{flagu|Australia}} |Prime Minister [[Tony Abbott]] |"''Every Australian governmental agency, every Australian official at home and abroad, operates in accordance with the law''" (October 31)<ref name="auto3"/> |- | rowspan=2|{{flagu|Germany}} |[[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Angela Merkel]] |"''A country without intelligence work would be too vulnerable.''" (July 10)<ref>{{cite web |title=Germany's Merkel rejects NSA-Stasi comparison |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 10, 2013 |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/germanys-merkel-rejects-nsa-stasi-comparison |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref> |- |[[List of German interior ministers|Interior Minister]] [[Hans-Peter Friedrich]] | "''The Americans take our data privacy concerns seriously.''" (August)<ref name="auto4"/> |- |{{flagu|Sweden}} |[[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)|Foreign Minister]] [[Carl Bildt]] |"''I am convinced that it is a national necessity for Sweden to have a well-functioning intelligence service''" (December 13)<ref name="auto5"/> |} -->
===Intelligence agency reviews=== ;Germany In July 2013, the German government announced an extensive review of German intelligence services.<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany probes secret service ties with US agencies |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i8cOrcBcmi1S4CxaYoU8CP75GJpw?docId=CNG.13941495f3f18c4f09f35348610dab3f.921 |access-date=December 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305201436/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i8cOrcBcmi1S4CxaYoU8CP75GJpw?docId=CNG.13941495f3f18c4f09f35348610dab3f.921 |archive-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=William Boston |title=Germany to Review Spy Service's Ties With NSA |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=July 22, 2013 |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324783204578621920253442796 |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>
;United States In August 2013, the U.S. government announced an extensive review of U.S. intelligence services.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mike Levine |title=White House Picks Panel to Review NSA Programs |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/white-house-picks-panel-to-review-nsa-programs/ |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="obamafalloutsp">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Luke |title=James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence Who Misled Congress, To Establish Surveillance Review Group |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=August 13, 2013 |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/13/james-clapper_n_3748431.html |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref>
;United Kingdom In October 2013, the British government announced an extensive review of British intelligence services.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Nick Hopkins |author2=Patrick Wintour |author3=Rowena Mason |author4=Matthew Taylor |title=Extent of spy agencies' surveillance to be investigated by parliamentary body |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 17, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/17/uk-gchq-nsa-surveillance-inquiry-snowden |access-date=December 28, 2013}}</ref>
;Canada In December 2013, the Canadian government announced an extensive review of Canadian intelligence services.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stewart Bell |title=Review underway into allegations that national intelligence agency illegally spied on Canadians |work=[[National Post]] |date=December 9, 2013 |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/review-underway-into-allegations-that-national-intelligence-agency-illegally-spied-on-canadians |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref>
===Criticism and alternative views=== In January 2014, U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] said that "the sensational way in which these disclosures have come out has often shed more heat than light" <ref name="npr.org"/> and critics such as [[Sean Wilentz]] claimed that "the NSA has acted far more responsibly than the claims made by the leakers and publicized by the press." In Wilentz' view "The leakers have gone far beyond justifiably blowing the whistle on abusive programs. In addition to their alarmism about [U.S.] domestic surveillance, many of the Snowden documents released thus far have had nothing whatsoever to do with domestic surveillance."<ref name="newrepublic.com"/> [[Edward Lucas (journalist)|Edward Lucas]], former Moscow bureau chief for ''[[The Economist]]'', agreed, asserting that "Snowden's revelations neatly and suspiciously fits the interests of one country: Russia" and citing [[Masha Gessen]]'s statement that "The Russian propaganda machine has not gotten this much mileage out of a US citizen since [[Angela Davis]]'s murder trial in 1971."<ref>[[Edward Lucas (journalist)|Edward Lucas]] (January 23, 2014), [https://www.amazon.com/The-Snowden-Operation-Greatest-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B00I0W61OY The Snowden Operation: Inside the West's Greatest Intelligence Disaster] ASIN:B00I0W61OY</ref>
[[Bob Cesca]] objected to ''[[The New York Times]]'' failing to redact the name of an NSA employee and the specific location where an [[al Qaeda]] group was being targeted in a series of slides the paper made publicly available.<ref>[[Bob Cesca]] (January 27, 2014), [http://thedailybanter.com/2014/01/the-name-of-an-nsa-agent-exposed-in-poorly-redacted-snowden-document/ NSA Agent's Identity Exposed in {{Sic|hide=y|Poorly|-}}Redacted Snowden Document] ''The Daily Banter''</ref>
Russian journalist [[Andrei Soldatov]] argued that Snowden's revelations had had negative consequences for internet freedom in Russia, as Russian authorities increased their own surveillance and regulation on the pretext of protecting the privacy of Russian users. Snowden's name was invoked by Russian legislators who supported measures forcing platforms such as [[Google]], [[Facebook]], [[Twitter]], [[Gmail]], and [[YouTube]] to locate their servers on Russian soil or install [[SORM]] black boxes on their servers so that Russian authorities could control them.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Soldatov |first1=Andrei |last2=Borogan |first2=Irina |title=The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries |publisher=PublicAffairs |location=New York |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-61039-573-1 |chapter=The Snowden Affair |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=onIuCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |pages=195–222}}</ref> Soldatov also contended that as a result of the disclosures, international support for having national governments take over the powers of the organizations involved in coordinating the Internet's global architectures had grown, which could lead to a Balkanization of the Internet that restricted free access to information.<ref>[[Andrei Soldatov]] (January 8, 2014), [http://www.ej.ru/?a=note&id=24044 ИТОГИ ГОДА. СПЕЦСЛУЖБЫ] ''ежедневный журнал'' (in Russian)</ref> The [[Montevideo Statement on the Future of Internet Cooperation]] issued in October 2013, by [[ICANN]] and other organizations warned against "Internet fragmentation at a national level" and expressed "strong concern over the undermining of the trust and confidence of Internet users globally due to recent revelations".<ref>[https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-07oct13-en.htm Montevideo Statement on the Future of Internet Cooperation] ''[[ICANN]]'' October 7, 2013</ref>
In late 2014, [[Freedom House]] said "[s]ome states are using the revelations of widespread surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as an excuse to augment their own monitoring capabilities, frequently with little or no oversight, and often aimed at the political opposition and human rights activists."<ref>[https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2014/tightening-net-governments Tightening the Net: Governments Expand Online Controls] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210082321/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2014/tightening-net-governments |date=December 10, 2014}} ''[[Freedom House]]'' Freedom on the Net 2014</ref>
==Gallery== <!-- Long-term plan: a set of collapsible tables: one for Reports, Policy documents, and court orders, one for each of the programs disclosed --> {{hidden|expanded=true|International relations| <gallery mode=packed> File:NSA Norway.jpg|NSA's relationship with Norway's [[Norwegian Intelligence Service|NIS]] File:Nsa-internal-pm-on-fra-and-sweden-relations.pdf|NSA's relationship with Sweden's [[National Defence Radio Establishment (Sweden)|FRA]] File:Israel Memorandum of Understanding SIGINT.pdf|NSA's agreement to share data with Israel's [[Unit 8200|ISNU]] File:BND XKeyscore.jpg|German [[Bundesnachrichtendienst|BND]]'s usage of the NSA's '''[[XKeyscore]]''' File:NSA Canada relationship.pdf|NSA's relationship with Canada's [[Communications Security Establishment Canada|CSEC]] File:Notes for Dutch SIGINT-Cyber Analytic Exchange.jpg|Summary of a secret meeting between the NSA and the Dutch intelligence services [[Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst|AIVD]] and [[Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service|MIVD]] </gallery>}}
{{hidden|expanded=true|U.S. domestic federal documents| <gallery mode=packed heights="180"> File:verizon.pdf|Court order demanding that Verizon hand over all [[call detail record]]s to NSA. File:Exhibit-a.pdf|Procedures used to target Foreigners. File:Exhibit-b.pdf|Procedures used to Minimize collection on US persons. File:Nsa-ig-draft-report.pdf|2009 OIG Draft Report on Stellar Wind. File:Nsa-memo.pdf|2007 Memos by Michael Mukasey requesting Broader powers. File:Presidential-policy-directive 20.pdf|Presidential Policy Directive – [[Presidential Policy Directive 20|PPD 20]] Signed By Barack Obama Relating to Cyberwarfare File:1qcy12-violations.pdf|NSA report on privacy violations. File:Lesson-4-job-aid-usp-info.pdf|What's a 'privacy violation' File:Sso-news-article.pdf|FISA Court finds NSA surveillance "deficient on statutory and constitutional grounds" but nonetheless recertifies it. File:Target-analyst-rationale-instructions-final.pdf|Targeting Rationale Guidelines File:Cbjb-fy13-v1-extract.pdf|Extracts of FY 2013 Intelligence Budget, volume 1 File:FY 2013 Intelligence Budget Tables.pdf|FY 2013 Intelligence Budget, additional tables </gallery>}}
{{hidden|expanded=true|NSA presentations| <gallery mode=packed heights="180"> File:SilverZephyr.jpg|SilverZephyr Slide File:Dropmire-document-image.-010.jpg|Dropmire Slide File:Cover slide of PRISM.jpg|Cover page of the PRISM presentation File:Prism slide 2.jpg|Map of global internet bandwidth File:PRISM Collection Details.jpg|Names of the PRISM content providers and which services they typically provide File:Prism slide 5.jpg|Dates each content provider was added to PRISM File:Prism-slide-6.jpg|Flowchart of the PRISM tasking process File:Prism-slide-7.jpg|PRISM dataflow File:Prism-slide-8.jpg|Explanation of PRISM case names File:Prism-slide-9.jpg|REPRISMFISA web application File:Prism-week in the life.jpg|A week in the life of Prism File:XKeyscore presentation from 2008.pdf|A 2008 Presentation of the [[XKeyscore]] program. (PDF, 27.3 MB) File:Geopolitical Trends.png|Geopolititical Trends: Key Challenges File:Global drivers.png|Geopolitical trends: Global Drivers File:Glenn1-35.jpg|Benefits of contact graph analysis File:Glenn1-36-copy.jpg|Benefits of contact graph analysis File:Glenn1-38-copy.jpg|Contact graph File:Glenn1-39-copy.jpg|Hops in a contact graph File:Glenn1-44-copy.jpg|2 hop contact graph File:Glenn1-45-copy.jpg|Spying against [[Enrique Peña Nieto]] and his associates File:Glenn1-46-copy.jpg|Details of the process in the Nieto operation File:Glenn1-48-copy.jpg|Emails from Nieto detailing potential cabinet picks File:Glenn1-49-copy.jpg|Spying effort against [[Dilma Rousseff]] and her advisers File:Glenn1-50-copy.jpg|Details of the process in the Rousseff operation (2 hop contact graph) File:Glenn1-52-copy.jpg|Details of the process in the Rousseff operation (2 hop contact graph) File:Glenn1-53-copy.jpg|Benefits of contact graph analysis File:NSA-diagram-001.jpg|Exploitation of Common Internet Encryption Technologies </gallery>}}
==See also== * [[Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act]] * [[Global surveillance whistleblowers]] * [[Harris Corporation]] * [[PositiveID]] * [[Vulkan files leak]]
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * "[http://www.ub.uio.no/fag/informatikk-matematikk/informatikk/faglig/bibliografier/no21984.html Global Surveillance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105104332/https://www.ub.uio.no/fag/informatikk-matematikk/informatikk/faglig/bibliografier/no21984.html |date=January 5, 2019}}. An annotated and categorized "overview of the revelations following the leaks by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. There are also some links to comments and follow-ups". By the Oslo University Library. * {{cite news |title=The NSA Files |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=June 8, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/the-nsa-files |access-date=April 11, 2015}} * [http://www.spiegel.de/international/topic/nsa_spying_scandal/ NSA Spying Scandal] {{ndash}} ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/nsa-timeline/ Six months of revelations on NSA by the Washington Post's Kennedy Elliott and Terri Rupar on December 23, 2013] * {{cite web |title=The Spy Files |publisher=[[WikiLeaks]] |date=December 1, 2011 |url=https://wikileaks.org/the-spyfiles.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}} A collection of documents relating to surveillance. ** {{cite web |title=The Spy Files |publisher=[[WikiLeaks]] |date=December 8, 2011 |url=https://wikileaks.org/spyfiles/list/releasedate/2011-12-08.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}} Part 2 of the above. ** {{cite web |title=Spy Files 3 |publisher=[[WikiLeaks]] |date=September 4, 2013 |url=https://wikileaks.org/spyfiles3.html |access-date=April 11, 2015}} Part 3 of the above. * {{cite web |language=pt |title=Veja os documentos ultrassecretos que comprovam espionagem a Dilma |date=September 2, 2013 |url=https://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/09/veja-os-documentos-ultrassecretos-que-comprovam-espionagem-dilma.html |access-date=September 4, 2013}} Documents relating to the surveillance against [[Dilma Rousseff]] and [[Enrique Peña Nieto]] * [https://www.aclu.org/nsa-documents-search The NSA Archive by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)] – All documents released since June 5, 2013—both by the media and the U.S. government—are housed in this database established and operated by the ACLU. ** [https://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/introducing-aclus-nsa-documents-database ACLU article "Introducing the ACLU's NSA Documents Database" by the ACLU's Emily Weinrebe on April 3, 2014] on the above NSA Archive established and operated by the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU). * [https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying/nsadocs NSA Primary Sources] – A List of all leaks and links to media articles related to the disclosures based on the material of Edward Snowden sorted by Date, Document and Media outlet established and operated by the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]. * [https://archive.org/details/nsia-snowden-documents Snowden disclosures] at the [[Internet Archive]].
{{National Security Agency}} {{National intelligence agencies}} {{United States intelligence agencies}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Global surveillance disclosures (2010s)}} [[Category:Cover-ups]] [[Category:Edward Snowden]] [[Category:Global surveillance]] [[Category:News leaks]] [[Category:Surveillance scandals]] [[Category:2010s in international relations]] [[Category:2010s in politics]] [[Category:2010s scandals]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]]