European politicians visiting Washington to investigate claims of mass surveillance by America in Europe say United States explanations that all allies spy on each other are not enough. The most senior intelligence advisers to the German chancellor are also in Washington to meet their counterparts at the White House following reports the Americans had been monitoring Angela Merkel's mobile phone. The fact Ms Merkel has sent two of the most important people in her immediate circle to the meeting is seen as an indication of how seriously she is taking the matter, the BBC reports.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports Google and Yahoo, two of the world's biggest tech companies, have reacted angrily to a report that the National Security Agency has secretly intercepted the main communication links that carry their users' data around the world. In a statement, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, said the company was "outraged" by the latest revelations. "We have long been concerned about the possibility of this kind of snooping, which is why we have continued to extend encryption across more and more Google services and links, especially the links in the slide."
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