Fresh revelations from whistle blower Edward Snowden have identified AT&T as one of the U.S National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) most willing collaborators, helping it to monitor billions of emails and spy on the United Nations.
Documents reviewed by The New York Times and ProPublica assert that AT&T cooperated with the NSA for a programme called Fairview. The documents do not name the telco, but the publications said their analysis revealed a "constellation" of evidence, verified by former intelligence officials, that points to AT&T.
According to the documents, which date from 2003 to 2013, AT&T used a number of methods to provide the NSA with access to billions of emails travelling across its networks. This included installing surveillance equipment at 17 of its U.S. Internet hubs.
AT&T also provided technical assistance in carrying out a secret court order that permitted the monitoring of all Internet communications at the headquarters of the UN, one of AT&T’s customers.
According to the NYT, the documents say AT&T has been particularly cooperative, reminding NSA staff to be polite when dealing with the telco, because "this is a partnership, not a contractual relationship."
