In a mission statement last year the US National Security Agency described how it would continue to expand its power and assert itself as the global leader in clandestine surveillance, according to a new report based on the Edward Snowden leaks. The five-page document brought to light Friday by the New York Times reveals the intelligence agency’s intention to “aggressively pursue legal authorities... 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently considering whether to require all new cars to include communication technology that constantly broadcasts a vehicle’s location, speed, and perhaps even the number of passengers inside. This new technology, dubbed “vehicle-to-vehicle” (V2V) communications, would be used to alert drivers to possible hazards and improve the safety... 

Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Australia after a top-secret document revealed that Australian spy agencies attempted to listen in on the personal phone calls of Indonesia’s president. New revelations by American whistleblower Edward Snowden showed that the Australian spy agencies targeted the mobile phones of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and senior ministers and confidants. The... 

A new survey shows that Germans’ trust in Washington has plummeted with only one-third viewing their longtime ally as a reliable partner, amid recent reports showing the US extensively spied on the country. The study, commissioned by the public broadcaster, ARD, and the daily Die Welt, showed that only 35 percent of Germans consider the US government trustworthy. In addition, the poll showed that... 

US authorities have presented a plan for the mass use of drones in American airspace. Though there have been few objections to the move so far, a global government surveillance drone program is likely to raise privacy concerns later on. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has presented a detailed plan for drones to roam across American skies within the next two years. The plan sets September... 

China has demanded explanation from the US after a report revealed that Australian embassies, including the one in Beijing, have been used in Washington’s spying operations. “China is extremely concerned about this report and demands that the United States offers a clarification and explanation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told reporters on Thursday. “We... 

US spymaster James Clapper has said that learning foreign leaders’ intentions is a “top tenet” of overseas surveillance operations. “Leadership intentions is kind of a basic tenet of what we collect and analyze,” Clapper told the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. The Director of National Intelligence was reacting to growing international outrage over reports that the US National... 

Controlling social behavior: Proposal could ban criticism of Islam, feminism! A frightening proposal currently being considered by the European Parliament would direct governments to monitor citizens deemed “intolerant” and could even lead to a ban on all criticism of Islam and feminism. The European Framework National Statute for the Promotion of Tolerance (PDF), which was drafted by the European... 

In what might be the most explicit hostility to such freedoms yet – as well as the most unmistakable evidence of rampant panic – the NSA’s director, General Keith Alexander, actually demanded Thursday that the reporting being done by newspapers around the world on this secret surveillance system be halted. The head of the embattled National Security Agency, Gen Keith Alexander, is accusing... 

A leaked US intelligence document has revealed that Israel is behind the hacking of millions of phone calls and messages in France. According to a report by Le Monde on Friday Israeli agents is behind a cyber attack against the communications networks of the Elysee Palace, intercepting more than 70 million calls and text messages a month. France had initially accused the US of hacking into former... 

Twenty-one countries, including US allies France and Mexico, have now joined talks to hammer out a UN resolution that would condemn “indiscriminate” and “extra-territorial” surveillance, and ensure “independent oversight” of electronic monitoring. The news was reported by Foreign Policy magazine, which has also obtained a copy of the draft text. The resolution was proposed earlier this... 

Germany has summoned the US ambassador to Berlin over reports that the United States spied on cell phone conversations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is scheduled to personally meet with US Ambassador John B. Emerson on Thursday. Germany, France and several other countries have expressed concerns about US spying after American surveillance whistleblower... 

EU leaders say their relations with the US have been undermined by reports of NSA spying on European leaders and ordinary citizens. A partnership with America should be built on respect and trust, they said in a joint statement. The statement was released Friday amid the ongoing summit of top European politicians in Brussels. It said the reports of American surveillance in Europe have raised “deep... 

France has summoned the US ambassador after reports emerged that the National Security Agency (NSA) has recorded millions of French telephone calls. The French daily Le Monde recently published a report which showed that the NSA spy agency secretly taped more than 70 million phone conversations in France over a 30-day period this year. Paris summoned US Ambassador Charles Hammerman Rivkin for explanation... 

The first videos of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have surfaced since he received asylum in Russia. The footage, provided by WikiLeaks, was taken during the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence awards ceremony. The video fragments of a meeting, attended by the former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, former NSA executive Thomas Andrews Drake and former FBI agent Coleen Rowley, Jesselyn Radack...