The Unites States’ National Security Agency was given permission in 2010 to perform blanket surveillance of African states, allowing the institution to intercept information it deems in the interest of national security, according to a report.
The Washington Post reports the certification, which was approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, was one of the documents leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden.
HumanIPO reported last year Snowden had revealed information to journalists that highlighted the extent of America’s global surveillance.
His revelations included information about a programme known as XKEYSCORE, a method of filtering private internet traffic including emails and browsing histories.
The recent disclosure allows the US agency to intercept information from all but four countries – Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Canada – the nations that make up the Five Eyes, along with the United States.
It also allows the agency to intercept information from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU) and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The existence of the document does not mean the NSA is spying on all countries listed, but it does have permission to do so.
“These documents show both the potential scope of the government’s surveillance activities and the exceedingly modest role the court plays in overseeing them,” Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union is quoted as saying.
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