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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. taps half-billion German phone, internet links in month: report
he United States taps half a billion phone calls, emails and text messages in Germany in a typical month and has classed its biggest European ally as a target similar to China, according to secret U.S. documents quoted by a German newsmagazine.
The revelations of alleged U.S. surveillance programs based on documents taken by fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have raised a political furor in the United States and abroad over the balance between privacy rights and national security.
Exposing the latest details in a string of reputed spying programs, Der Spiegel quoted from an internal NSA document which it said its reporters had seen.
The document Spiegel cited showed that the United States categorized Germany as a "third-class" partner and that surveillance there was stronger than in any other EU country, similar in extent to China, Iraq or Saudi-Arabia.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/30/us-usa-germany-spying-idUSBRE95T04B20130630
newfie11
(8,159 posts)With my German dog show friends!
Great to live in a "free" country.
cali
(114,904 posts)here. Why such massive spying on Germany and no spying of this kind (purportedly) on New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Great Britain? (according to the article)
Shivering Jemmy
(900 posts)one of the largest Muslim immigrant communities in Europe. They are likely monitoring that community for radicalization.
I find Europe's indignant reaction hilarious. Everyone spies on their friends and enemies. We just have more technical capacity to execute on it.
Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)it just doesn't pass the mustard.
Shivering Jemmy
(900 posts)Buy it or don't. No difference is made either way.
marmar
(77,114 posts)Shivering Jemmy
(900 posts)Spies are supposed to spy. That's the job.