20. 01. 2015

British intelligence agency "spied on journalists"

20.1.2015 (Tanjug, AP, B92) - LONDON -- GCHQ "saved emails" from journalists at BBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and other major news organizations, the Guardian reported, according to AP.

The newspaper said on Monday its information was based on an analysis of documents provided by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The journalists' emails were "among 70,000 emails gathered in less than ten minutes in November, 2008," the newspaper said, adding that "the information was gleaned from a GCHQ tap on fiber optic cables used for internet communications."

According to the report, the British agency also "intercepted" emails of other media organizations: Reuters, the Sun, NBC and Le Monde, "and that the journalists' emails were available on the spy agency's intranet site."

According to AP, the Guardian "said some emails included correspondence between editors and reporters discussing stories," but "did not say if the journalists were specifically targeted."

GCHQ "told the newspaper its actions meet strict legal guidelines."