British eavesdropping agency GCHQ has secretly accessed fiber-optic cables carrying huge amounts of internet and communications data, according to documents disclosed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.
The agency is able to tap into and store data - including phone calls and e-mails between innocent people - from the cables for up to 30 days so it can be analyzed under an operation codenamed Tempora.
The Cheltenham-based agency would not comment on intelligence matters but insisted it was 'scrupulous' in complying with the law.