Report: Germany and Brazil push for UN action against NSA spying

Germany and Brazil have joined forces to press for a United Nations resolution aimed at the growing NSA spying scandal, Foreign Policy reports.

The two countries have reportedly begun meeting with other Latin American and European countries to build support for a resolution expanding existing privacy rights protected by a U.N. covenant to the online world. The draft does not mention the recent revelations from Edward Snowden but appears clearly aimed at the National Security Agency (NSA).

“The covenant was formulated at a time when the internet didn’t exist,” a diplomat told Foreign Policy. “Everyone has the right to privacy and the goal is to this resolution is to apply those protections to online communications.”

{mosads}Brazil and Germany hope to bring the resolution to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly human rights committee later this year, Foreign Policy reports. 

Snowden’s revelations have provoked particularly virulent political blowback in the two countries. Germany summoned the U.S. ambassador this week following reports that the NSA tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff called off a state visit to the United States after learning she was also spied on.

Please send tips and comments to Julian Pecquet: jpecquet@digital-release.thehill.com

Follow us on Twitter: @TheHillGlobal and @JPecquetTheHill