London: Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping agency stored emails from journalists working for several large media organisations, according to documents released by former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Guardian newspaper reported.
The emails from the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Sun, Le Monde, NBC, the BBC and Reuters were among 70,000 harvested as part of a 10-minute bulk surveillance exercise on one day in November 2008, the newspaper said.
The communications, which ranged from press releases to discussions between reporters and editors about stories, were accessed by a tap on fibre-optic cables, saved by GCHQ and then shared on its intranet as part of a test exercise.
The Guardian said new evidence from British intelligence documents revealed by Mr Snowden also showed that a GCHQ information security assessment had listed investigative journalists as a threat along with terrorists and hackers.
Asked about the report, GCHQ said it did not comment on intelligence matters.
"All of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework, which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight," the agency said in a statement.
Edward Snowden caused an international uproar in 2013 when he disclosed details of the extent of surveillance and electronic monitoring by the US National Security Agency and its British equivalent, the General Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ.
Facing charges in the United States, he fled to Russia where he still lives.
The emails from the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Sun, Le Monde, NBC, the BBC and Reuters were among 70,000 harvested as part of a 10-minute bulk surveillance exercise on one day in November 2008, the newspaper said.
The communications, which ranged from press releases to discussions between reporters and editors about stories, were accessed by a tap on fibre-optic cables, saved by GCHQ and then shared on its intranet as part of a test exercise.
Asked about the report, GCHQ said it did not comment on intelligence matters.
Advertisement
Edward Snowden caused an international uproar in 2013 when he disclosed details of the extent of surveillance and electronic monitoring by the US National Security Agency and its British equivalent, the General Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ.
Advertisement
© Thomson Reuters 2015
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Oscars 2024 Full List of Nominations: Oppenheimer Leads with 13 Nods UK Man Loses Rs 3 Crore In Cryptocurrency Scam, Shares Experience To Raise Awareness Boris Johnson Earned Millions Over Past Year On Top Of PM's Salary: Report Karnataka's 100% Quota Bill For Kannadigas In Private Firms For These Posts 13 Indians Among 16 Crew Members Missing After Oil Tanker Capsizes Off Oman Is Earth Orbiting Sun Or A Point In Space? Read This Fascinating Analysis 220-Foot NF 2024 Asteroid Racing Towards Earth, NASA Alerts 4 Top Leaders Quit Ajit Pawar's Party In Major Setback After Poll Drubbing Trump Shooting Conspiracy Theories Viewed 215 Million Times On X: Report Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.