Is Glenn Greenwald's Journalism Now Viewed as a 'Terrorist' Occupation?

THE GUARDIAN: David Miranda's detention shows that being the partner of the man who interviewed the NSA whistleblower is enough to see you treated like a terrorist

The detention at Heathrow on Sunday of the Brazilian David Miranda is the sort of treatment western politicians love to deplore in Putin's Russia or Ahmadinejad's Iran. His "offence" under the 2000 Terrorism Act was apparently to be the partner of a journalist, Glenn Greenwald, who had reported for the Guardian on material released by the American whistleblower, Edward Snowden. We must assume the Americans asked the British government to nab him, shake him down and take his personal effects.

Miranda's phone and laptop were confiscated and he was held incommunicado, without access to friends or lawyer, for the maximum nine hours allowed under law. It is the airport equivalent of smashing into someone's flat, rifling through their drawers and stealing papers and documents. It is simple harassment and intimidation. » | Simon Jenkins | Monday, August 19, 2013

Obama Faces Democratic Backlash over Latest NSA Revelations

'Massive NSA Surveillance Violations Cause Political Embarrassment for Obama'

The NSA has violated the rules on surveillance and even US court rulings thousands of times per year, for several years. It's emerged from fresh revelations, based on data leaked by Edward Snowden. Intelligence analyst Glenmore Trenear Harvey joins RT with his thoughts on all this.

Violation Nation: NSA Broke Surveillance Laws 'Thousands of Times Per Year'

The NSA has violated the rules on surveillance - and even US court rulings - thousands of times per year, for several years. It's emerged from fresh revelations, based on data leaked by Edward Snowden. Live to Washington and our correspondent Gayane Chichakyan.

Barack Obama Pledges Greater Surveillance Transparency

BBC: President Barack Obama has promised "appropriate reforms" to guarantee greater oversight of controversial US surveillance programmes

At a White House news conference, he proposed "safeguards against abuse", including amending legislation on the collection of telephone data.

Mr Obama also urged appointing a lawyer to challenge the government at the nation's secretive surveillance court.

He has been defending the programmes since they were leaked in June.

Snowden 'no patriot'

Mr Obama said on Friday that the US "can and must be more transparent" about its snooping on phone and internet data.

"Given the history of abuse by governments, it's right to ask questions about surveillance, particularly as technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives," he told reporters.

"It's not enough for me as president to have confidence in these programmes," Mr Obama added. "The American people need to have confidence as well." (+ video) » | Saturday, August 10, 2013

'National Stasi Agency': Germans Furious over Intel Sharing with NSA

German intelligence is sharing large swathes of telecommunications data with the US - according to latest revelations published in Der Spiegel magazine. Documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden show that the degree of surveillance cooperation between Berlin and Washington is higher than officials would like to admit.

'Read Constitution, Not My Email': Anti-snooping Protests Sweep US

The protests "1984 Day," have taken place across the US, most notably in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. The rallies have been organized by a number of social media initiatives by a grassroots organization called Restore the Fourth that demands an end to "unconstitutional surveillance of digital communications."

Germany Ends Spy Pact with US and UK after Snowden

BBC: Germany has cancelled a Cold War-era pact with the US and Britain in response to revelations about electronic surveillance operations.

Details of snooping programmes involving the transatlantic allies have been leaked to the media by former US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

The revelations have sparked widespread outrage in Germany, where elections are due next month.

The agreement dates from 1968-9, and its cancellation is largely symbolic.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement: "The cancellation of the administrative agreements, which we have pushed for in recent weeks, is a necessary and proper consequence of the recent debate about protecting personal privacy."

Germans' experience of mass surveillance under the Communist and Nazi dictatorships makes them particularly sensitive to perceived infringements of personal privacy, and the country has strong data protection laws.

The agreement cancelled on Friday gave the Western countries which had troops stationed in West Germany - the US, Britain and France - the right to request surveillance operations to protect those forces. » | Friday, August 02, 2013

'1984 Is Now!': Germans Protest Berlin's Rôle in NSA Spying on Snowden Day

Privacy rights activists have demonstrated across Germany against U.S. worldwide surveilance - and Berlin's role in it. The revelations by Edward Snowden, have ignited public anger among Germans who say that their government let them down - as RT's Peter Oliver reports.

'NSA Criminals, Surveillance Not Part of My America' - Pete Ashdown

The show must go on - that is the message from American lawmakers who have allowed the National Security Agency to continue spying both at home and abroad. A motion to curb its activities was blocked in the House of Representatives by a narrow margin of only 12 votes. Pete Ashdown, owner of small internet company Xmission who refused to give data to NSA, joins RT studio.

Avoiding Big Bro: Prying Eyes Make Privacy a Thing of the Past

Snowden's become a wanted man after showing the world just how much US security services watch people all over the world. The NSA's stranglehold on digital data communications makes privacy seem like a thing of the past. RT's Marina Portnaya tried to see if she could avoid Big Brother, while going about her daily business in New York.

Revealed: Germany 'Prolific Partner' of NSA, Merkel Denies Knowledge

’Der Spiegel’ magazine has revealed German intelligence operated one of NSA's spying programs. Chancellor Angela Merkel had denied any previous knowledge of NSA's tactics, adding that she first learned about them through the media.

Snowden's Future Remains Murky, But Dangerous

NSA leaker urges journalist to keep documents secret

Ron Paul: NSA Whistleblower Snowden Is a 'Hero'

Former GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul says the Obama administration's program to collect data from Americans' phone calls is 'crazy' and that the president's claim that the administration isn't listening to your phone calls is untrue.

Litany of Lies: NSA Leaks, Iran, Syria True Facts Shatter Voters' Faith in Obama

Edward Snowden's leaks appear to be eating into support for Obama whose approval rating has plummeted almost 10 percentage points in recent weeks. Bad news for him but worse for the government with a recent poll saying only one in six Americans now trust Washington to do the right thing. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.

Snowden Strikes Again: 'NSA in Bed with Germany'

US fugitive Edward Snowden has accused Germany and the US of partnering in spy intelligence operations, revealing that cooperation between the countries is closer than German indignation would indicate, Der Spiegel magazine reported. Journalist Manuel Ochsenreiter says German politicians are furious - but about being exposed, not by being spied on.

Why Did Greenwald Expose the NSA Leak Story?

Did the journalist have a motive?

Inside Story Americas: NSA Leaks and US Democracy

We ask what recent spying revelations mean for democracy in the United States.

Restore the Fourth: Nationwide Anti-NSA Spying Protests Hit US

An anti-NSA surveillance nationwide protest and online campaign was triggered on Thursday. It aimed to restore the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which protects US citizens from "unreasonable searches and seizures."

Spying Survey: German Trust in US at Lowest Level Since Bush

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Ongoing revelations about the NSA spying scandal have pushed German trust in the US to its lowest level since the presidency of George W. Bush. A new survey also finds that Germans want Chancellor Merkel to stand up to Washington.

It wasn't all that long ago that US President Barack Obama could take credit for having repaired a trans-Atlantic relationship that had taken a hit under his predecessor, George W. Bush. Early in his first term, some 78 percent of Germans saw the US as "a country that could be trusted."

This week, though, following revelations of large-scale US spying in Europe and vast Internet surveillance, that trust has taken a hit. A survey released late on Thursday found that only 49 percent of Germans now view the United States as trustworthy, the lowest level since Bush was in the White House. It also marks a plunge of 16 points relative to a survey taken in December 2011. » | cgh -- with wire reports | Friday, July 05, 2013