US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that in
some cases, US spying has gone too far.
Mr Kerry is the most senior Obama administration
official to have commented directly on an issue that
has upset America's European allies.
He said he will work with the president to prevent
further inappropriate acts by the National Security
Agency.
His comments come as Asian countries have protested
at claims that Australia was involved in a US-led spy
network.
China has demanded an explanation of the reports,
while Indonesia has summoned the Australian
ambassador to Jakarta.
In other developments:
Major technology companies including Google,
Apple and Yahoo have called for the US
government to do more to rein in the NSA's
activities.
A German MP said ex-US intelligence contractor
Edward Snowden is willing to travel to Berlin to
help investigations into the alleged surveillance of
Angela Merkel's phone.
Indonesia's foreign minister said reports that the
NSA used Australian embassies to eavesdrop on
Asian countries would indicate a "serious breach"
of diplomatic rules.
Edward Snowden met German politician Hans-Christian
Stroebele in Moscow
In his comments, Mr Kerry also defended the need for
increased surveillance, saying it had thwarted terrorist
attacks.
"We have actually prevented airplanes from going
down, buildings from being blown up, and people from
being assassinated because we've been able to learn
ahead of time of the plans," Mr Kerry told a conference
in London via video link.
"I assure you, innocent people are not being abused in
this process, but there's an effort to try to gather
information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too
far inappropriately.
"And the president, our president, is determined to try
to clarify and make clear for people, and is now doing
a thorough review in order that nobody will have the
sense of abuse... we are going to make sure that does
not happen in the future." he said.
Mr Kerry, in his remarks to a conference organised by
the Open Government Partnership, said that while
some surveillance may have been excessive, claims that
up to 70 million were being monitored were an
"exaggeration".
Claims about the extent of US surveillance of targets
such as European leaders have strained Washington's
diplomatic relations with some of its key allies.
'Serious breach'
Last week it was alleged that German Chancellor Angela
Merkel's mobile phone had been tapped for up to 10
years.
More recently there have been claims that the NSA
hacked links connecting data centres operated by
Google and Yahoo.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
embassies in Asia had been used to spy on Asian
countries such as China, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.
"If confirmed, such action is not only a breach of
security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms
and ethics," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa said.
The report describes a signals intelligence programme
called Stateroom which involves the interception of
radio, telecommunications and internet traffic using
equipment in US, British, Australian and Canadian
diplomatic missions.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
declined to comment on the latest reports.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "Every Australian
governmental agency, every Australian official...
operates in accordance with the law."
The claims are the latest to emerge from documents
leaked by ex-US intelligence contractor Edward
Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in
Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the
unauthorised disclosures.
Technology firms appeal
In Germany, a member of parliament has said Mr
Snowden is willing to travel to Berlin to help investigate
allegations about the tapping of Mrs Merkel's phone.
Hans-Christian Stroebele, who represents the opposition
Green party, said there would need to be safeguards
against Mr Snowden, who he recently visited in
Moscow, being deported to the United States.
The BBC's Steve Evans, in Berlin, said Germany's
Christian-Democrat-led government may be unwilling
to invite Mr Snowden to the country, particularly as his
presence would raise issues over extradition
agreements with the United States.
In the wake of the claims about surveillance of online
data centres, six major technology companies have
called for the US government to do more to control the
NSA's activities.
The six called for "appropriate oversight and
accountability" in a letter sent to a US Senate
committee sponsoring a bill designed to rein in the
NSA.
AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo
signed the letter to the Senate Committee on the
Judiciary, saying the greater control would help to
rebuild trust in government surveillance programs.
some cases, US spying has gone too far.
Mr Kerry is the most senior Obama administration
official to have commented directly on an issue that
has upset America's European allies.
He said he will work with the president to prevent
further inappropriate acts by the National Security
Agency.
His comments come as Asian countries have protested
at claims that Australia was involved in a US-led spy
network.
China has demanded an explanation of the reports,
while Indonesia has summoned the Australian
ambassador to Jakarta.
In other developments:
Major technology companies including Google,
Apple and Yahoo have called for the US
government to do more to rein in the NSA's
activities.
A German MP said ex-US intelligence contractor
Edward Snowden is willing to travel to Berlin to
help investigations into the alleged surveillance of
Angela Merkel's phone.
Indonesia's foreign minister said reports that the
NSA used Australian embassies to eavesdrop on
Asian countries would indicate a "serious breach"
of diplomatic rules.
Edward Snowden met German politician Hans-Christian
Stroebele in Moscow
In his comments, Mr Kerry also defended the need for
increased surveillance, saying it had thwarted terrorist
attacks.
"We have actually prevented airplanes from going
down, buildings from being blown up, and people from
being assassinated because we've been able to learn
ahead of time of the plans," Mr Kerry told a conference
in London via video link.
"I assure you, innocent people are not being abused in
this process, but there's an effort to try to gather
information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too
far inappropriately.
"And the president, our president, is determined to try
to clarify and make clear for people, and is now doing
a thorough review in order that nobody will have the
sense of abuse... we are going to make sure that does
not happen in the future." he said.
Mr Kerry, in his remarks to a conference organised by
the Open Government Partnership, said that while
some surveillance may have been excessive, claims that
up to 70 million were being monitored were an
"exaggeration".
Claims about the extent of US surveillance of targets
such as European leaders have strained Washington's
diplomatic relations with some of its key allies.
'Serious breach'
Last week it was alleged that German Chancellor Angela
Merkel's mobile phone had been tapped for up to 10
years.
More recently there have been claims that the NSA
hacked links connecting data centres operated by
Google and Yahoo.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
embassies in Asia had been used to spy on Asian
countries such as China, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.
"If confirmed, such action is not only a breach of
security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms
and ethics," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa said.
The report describes a signals intelligence programme
called Stateroom which involves the interception of
radio, telecommunications and internet traffic using
equipment in US, British, Australian and Canadian
diplomatic missions.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
declined to comment on the latest reports.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "Every Australian
governmental agency, every Australian official...
operates in accordance with the law."
The claims are the latest to emerge from documents
leaked by ex-US intelligence contractor Edward
Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in
Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the
unauthorised disclosures.
Technology firms appeal
In Germany, a member of parliament has said Mr
Snowden is willing to travel to Berlin to help investigate
allegations about the tapping of Mrs Merkel's phone.
Hans-Christian Stroebele, who represents the opposition
Green party, said there would need to be safeguards
against Mr Snowden, who he recently visited in
Moscow, being deported to the United States.
The BBC's Steve Evans, in Berlin, said Germany's
Christian-Democrat-led government may be unwilling
to invite Mr Snowden to the country, particularly as his
presence would raise issues over extradition
agreements with the United States.
In the wake of the claims about surveillance of online
data centres, six major technology companies have
called for the US government to do more to control the
NSA's activities.
The six called for "appropriate oversight and
accountability" in a letter sent to a US Senate
committee sponsoring a bill designed to rein in the
NSA.
AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo
signed the letter to the Senate Committee on the
Judiciary, saying the greater control would help to
rebuild trust in government surveillance programs.
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