Demonstrators hold placards and banners to protest against government surveillance in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, on October 26, 2013. Photo: Xinhua

Latest News

NSA has 80 listening posts worldwide, including in cities in China
US intelligence has been operating a global network of 80 Special Collection Services (SCS), including Asia listening posts in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Taipei.

Targeted Objects

 


More news

US tracked 60.5 million calls in Spain
Merkel was US snoop target
US spies on 60 million Spanish phone calls in a month, ambassador called to explain
US NSA used bugs to target Indian diplomats
More illegal NSA spying activities leaked
Documents show NSA broke privacy rules

Intl Reactions

China	Called on the international community to speed up the formulation of guidelines for cyberspace after the US was accused of spying on the phone records of its allies.
European leaders	Want a new deal with Washington to end a damaging spy row so as to keep an essential alliance and the fight against terrorism on track. The aim should be to agree rules for intelligence gathering rather than seek a pointless confrontation.
Germany	Parliament will hold a special session on alleged US spying that included monitoring of mobile phone communications of Chancellor Angela Merkel. More Obama aware of spying on Merkel: German paper Merkel to meet Hollande over US phone hacking allegations
France	Foreign minister announced "immediate" summoning of the US ambassador over the US spy agency eavesdropping on millions of phone calls made by French citizens. More US to discuss spy row with France, says Kerry in Paris
Spain	Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would call in the US ambassador to Madrid to explain reports of American spying on the country. More Alleged US spying to damage Spain-US relations: FM
Brazil	Insists on a plan that requires global Internet companies to store data of Brazilian users inside the country. More Brazil to use homegrown technology to shield govt e-mails from snooping Brazilian president postpones US trip over spy scandal

US Response

 Obama looks to ban spying on US allies
US has made some individual changes in spying practices but so far there was little change in the general policy of snooping on allies.

 US Senate panel to conduct 'major review' of all US intelligence programs
US Senate Intelligence Committee will initiate "a major review" into all US intelligence programs amid uproar following media disclosures about US spying on world leaders.

US Senate panel drafting bipartisan bill to limit NSA surveillance
The US Senate Intelligence Committee began drafting legislation to increase transparency and tighten oversight to NSA's surveillance program.

US spy agencies hit out at latest Snowden revelations
US spy agencies said the latest media revelations based on leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden will likely damage US and allied intelligence efforts.

Commentary

 Liu Weidong, an associate research fellow with the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
"It is hard to rebuild the trust since the US will unlikely stop eavesdropping. But the US can gain by promising not to spy on major governments and people of Europe." 

 Xin Qiang, a professor of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University
"Despite these responses made to the allies' outrage, the US is not likely to end its spying operations. Even if it does, it will restart the programs later." 

More Op-Ed articles:

US spy scandal puts France in tight spot
Amid troubling spying accusations, Washington needs to address global concerns
Obama's measures over surveillance short of specifics, structural change

US Spy Projects

 PRISM
Gives the NSA and FBI access to the systems of nine of the world's top Internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo and Skype.

 GENIE
The project enabled US computer specialists to break into foreign networks. It has placed "covert implants," sophisticated malware transmitted from far away, in computers, routers and firewalls on tens of thousands of machines every year, with plans to expand those numbers into the millions. 

By the end of 2013, the project will take control over 85,000 implanted malwares.
Most targeted countries including China, Iran, Russia and North Korea.

 TURBINE
A continuation of GENIE. The new project will help collect information from implanted malware and initiate attacks.

Source: Global Times – Agencies

Related Coverage

 Special coverage: Edward Snowden 

Web editor: pangqi@globaltimes.com.cn