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The NSA reportedly spied on French presidents during a period of at least six years between 2006 until May 2012

US agency 'spied on last three French presidents'

The US National Security Agency spied on French presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande according to WikiLeaks, citing top secret intelligence reports and technical documents.

News • 24 Jun 15

If the Senate amends the bill and the House does not pass it three domestic surveillance programmes that lapsed yesterday could end permanently

Changes to USA Freedom Act may harm spy programme

High-ranking members of the US House of Representatives have warned the Senate that proposed changes to the USA Freedom Act, a bill reforming domestic surveillance, are unlikely to pass the House and might harm the spy programme.

News • 01 Jun 15

Failure to pass legislation would mean the National Security Agency would have to shut off a vast surveillance system by midnight

Last-ditch attempt to extend US spying legislation

The US Senate has convened a last-ditch attempt to pass legislation to allow US spy agencies to continue to sweep up information on Americans' telephone calls and other business records.

News • 31 May 15

The existence of the programme was revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden

US court rules NSA bulk data sweep illegal

A US appeals court has ruled that the National Security Agency's massive collection of phone records of Americans is illegal, saying it exceeds the scope of what Congress authorised.

World • 07 May 15

Edward Snowden's lawyer said it would allow him to move about freely and travel abroad

Snowden gets three-year Russian residence permit

Fugitive US intelligence agent Edward Snowden has been granted a three-year residence permit in Russia, his Russian lawyer said at a press conference this morning.

News • 07 Aug 14

The system allows the agency to review conversations up to a month after they take place

NSA can record 100% of phone calls - report

The National Security Agency has developed a surveillance system that can record 100% of a foreign country's telephone calls, The Washington Post reported.

News • 19 Mar 14

The New York Times reported that the NSA is tapping into smartphone applications such as Angry Birds to scoop up personal data

NSA using Angry Birds app to spy - report

The US National Security Agency and its British counterpart are tapping into smartphone applications such as Angry Birds to scoop up personal data, the New York Times has reported.

News • 28 Jan 14

Barack Obama said reforms will give greater transparency

Obama announces new NSA guidelines

US President Barack Obama has announced long-awaited reforms of NSA surveillance techniques.

News • 18 Jan 14

The secret NSA database stores information from text messages for future use

NSA collects millions of global text messages

America's National Security Agency has collected almost 200 million text messages a day from across the globe according to the latest leak from former US spy Edward Snowden.

News • 16 Jan 14

The panel wants the National Security Agency to stop collecting phone records

US panel recommends limits on NSA powers

A White House-appointed panel has proposed limits on some key National Security Agency surveillance operations.

News • 18 Dec 13

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has welcomed the decision

US judge rules NSA likely to be unconstitutional

A US judge has ruled that the gathering of phone records by the National Security Agency is likely to be unlawful, raising “serious doubts” about the value of the NSA’s counter-terrorism programme.

News • 17 Dec 13

Germany and France have been the most vocal in protesting about US mass surveillance of European communication networks revealed by Mr Snowden since June

Europe running spy schemes too: British newspaper

Britain's Guardian newspaper has reported that Spy agencies across Western Europe are working together on mass surveillance of Internet and phone traffic.

News • 02 Nov 13

Edward Snowden disclosed secret US internet and phone surveillance programmes

Russian lawyer says Snowden to start website job

Former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has found a job working for a website in Russia.

News • 31 Oct 13

Enda Kenny said there was no indication of NSA surveillance of private phone calls in Ireland

Kenny - No indications of NSA phone tapping here

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said there has been no indication of surveillance or eavesdropping on the calls of Irish political leaders.

News • 30 Oct 13

Google and Yahoo constantly send data over leased and shared or exclusive international fibre-optic telecommunication lines as they sync information

NSA accused of intercepting data centres' traffic

The US Justice Department has joined a lawsuit filed against the firm that vetted Edward Snowden who leaked documents about US spying efforts.

News • 31 Oct 13

New allegations suggest Angela Merkel's phone was being bugged since 2002

US may have bugged Merkel's phone since 2002

The US may have bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone for more than 10 years, according to German news reports.

News • 27 Oct 13

Angela Merkel has demanded an immediate clarification of the allegations

US denies monitoring Angela Merkel's mobile phone

The German government has obtained information that the United States may have monitored the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

News • 23 Oct 13

US President Barack Obama made a phone call to French President Francois Hollande

President Obama speaks to Hollande over spying row

US President Barack Obama has spoken to French President Francois Hollande about the reported surveillance of millions of phone calls in France by the US National Security Agency.

News • 22 Oct 13

US Ambassador to France Charles Rivkin has insisted relations with France are still close

US ambassador summoned in France spying row

France has summoned the US ambassador to protest allegations of large-scale spying on French citizens by the US National Security Agency.

News • 22 Oct 13

Google says the levels of secrecy that have built up around national security requests undermine basic freedoms

Google applies to publish details of data requests

Internet giant Google has filed a petition to a US intelligence surveillance court seeking permission to publish information about the national security requests made to it.

News • 09 Sep 13

It was not reported which mainstream encryption systems have been effectively broken

NSA can 'break common internet encryption'

The US National Security Agency is reported to have secretly developed the ability to crack or circumvent commonplace internet encryption used to protect everything from email to financial transactions.

News • 06 Sep 13

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington next month

Claims US spied on Brazilian and Mexican leaders

The US National Security Agency spied on emails, phone calls and text messages of the presidents of Brazil and Mexico, a Brazilian news programme has reported.

News • 03 Sep 13

Mr Snowden eventually accepted a year's asylum in Russia after spending nearly six weeks at Sheremetyevo

Cuba refused access to US whistleblower

Former CIA contractor Edward Snowden got stuck in the transit zone of a Moscow airport because Havana said it would not let him fly from Russia to Cuba, according to a Russian newspaper.

News • 26 Aug 13

Mystery over Edward Snowden's whereabouts after he was not seen aboard Cuba-bound Aeroflot plane at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport as had been expected.

US wants Russia to expel whistleblower Snowden

The White House has asked Moscow to expel fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden to face spying charges in the US, believing he is still in Russia.

News • 24 Jun 13

Protesters gather in Charter Garden at the start of the protest rally to support Edward Snowden in Hong Kong

Rally in Hong Kong to support US whistleblower

Hundreds of people have marched to the US consulate in support of Edward Snowden, an American citizen who leaked top-secret information about US surveillance programs.

News • 15 Jun 13