NSA accessing Google, Facebook and Apple user data

It has been alleged that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other US internet players.

The access is part of a broader programme, called PRISM, which allows the agency to collect search history, email contents, file transfers and live chats of internet users.

The allegation was made by the Guardian, which yesterday reported that the NSA is also collecting the call records of millions of Verizon’s customers. Today, it claims to have access to a 41-slide top secret PowerPoint presentation which was apparently used to train intelligence operatives on the capabilities of the PRISM programme.

The PowerPoint presentation claims the programme is run with the assistance of the companies in question. However those that have responded to the Guardian’s claims have told the newspaper that they had no knowledge of the programme.

The NSA access was enabled by changes to US surveillance law introduced under President Bush and renewed under Obama in December 20102, the newspaper added.