In Europe, the German chancellor Angela Merkel indicated she would press Obama on the revelations at a Berlin summit next week, while deputy European Commission chief Viviane Reding said she would press US officials in Dublin on Friday, adding that "a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury or constraint but a fundamental right".
Information chiefs in Berlin and Rome were no less alarmed. Peter Schaar, Germany's federal data protection commissioner told the Guardian that it was unacceptable that US authorities have access to the data of European citizens "and the level of protection is lower than what is guaranteed for US citizens." His Italian counterpart, Antonello Soro, said that the data dragnet "would not be legal in Italy" and would be "contrary to the principles of our legislation and would represent a very serious violation".
In London, the British foreign secretary William Hague was forced to defend the UK's use of intelligence gathered by the US, and other European leaders also voiced concern.
Civil liberties groups ask for review of 'secret law'
The Obama administration offered no indication on Monday about what it intended to do about Snowden. The White House did however say he had sparked an "appropriate debate" and hinted it might welcome revision of the Patriot Act, legislation introduced in 2001 which it claims gives legal authority for the programmes carried out by the National Security Agency.
"If [congressional] debate were to build to a consensus around changes [to the Patriot Act] the president would look at that," said spokesman Jay Carney. "Although this is hardly the manner of discussion we hoped for, we would still like to have the debate."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/obama-pressured-explain-nsa-surveillance
"a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury or constraint but a fundamental right" - Yes indeed.
Mr Snowden is a tremendous hero. One man perhaps will succeed in reversing the worst excesses of the noxious Patriot Act.
| 
