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GCHQ Prism spying claims: Agency to report 'shortly' GCHQ Prism spying claims: Agency to report 'shortly'
(35 minutes later)
GCHQ is to give a report within days to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee on the listening agency's links to a secret US spy programme.GCHQ is to give a report within days to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee on the listening agency's links to a secret US spy programme.
This follows claims, in the Guardian, that GCHQ has been covertly gathering data from top US internet firms via America's Prism surveillance programme.This follows claims, in the Guardian, that GCHQ has been covertly gathering data from top US internet firms via America's Prism surveillance programme.
Committee (ISC) chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind expects the report by Monday.Committee (ISC) chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind expects the report by Monday.
He said he was "encouraged" by GCHQ's statement that it operated to a "strict legal and policy framework".He said he was "encouraged" by GCHQ's statement that it operated to a "strict legal and policy framework".
The Guardian says it has obtained documents showing that Britain's secret listening post had access to the Prism system, set up by America's National Security Agency (NSA), since at least June 2010.The Guardian says it has obtained documents showing that Britain's secret listening post had access to the Prism system, set up by America's National Security Agency (NSA), since at least June 2010.
The newspaper said that the Prism programme appeared to allow the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to circumvent the formal legal process required to obtain personal material, such as emails, photographs and videos, from internet companies based outside the UK.The newspaper said that the Prism programme appeared to allow the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to circumvent the formal legal process required to obtain personal material, such as emails, photographs and videos, from internet companies based outside the UK.
Sir Malcolm said: "The ISC is aware of the allegations surrounding data obtained by GCHQ via the US Prism programme.Sir Malcolm said: "The ISC is aware of the allegations surrounding data obtained by GCHQ via the US Prism programme.
"The ISC will be receiving a full report from GCHQ very shortly and will decide what further action needs to be taken as soon as it receives that information.""The ISC will be receiving a full report from GCHQ very shortly and will decide what further action needs to be taken as soon as it receives that information."
'Necessary and proportionate'
Responding to the Guardian report on Friday, Commons Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz said it "seems to be the snooper's charter by the back door".
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper had called on the prime minister to ask ISC to investigate "the UK's relationship with the Prism programme, the nature of intelligence being gathered, the extent of UK oversight by ministers and others, and the level of safeguards and compliance with the law".
"It is important for the UK intelligence community to be able to gather information from abroad including from the United States particularly in the vital counter terror work they do," she said. "However there also have to be legal safeguards."
US spies have been accused of tapping into servers of nine US internet giants including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google in a giant anti-terror sweep. All deny giving government agents access to servers.
President Barack Obama has defended the Prism monitoring programme, saying it was closely overseen by Congress and the courts and that his administration had struck "the right balance" between security and privacy.
A GCHQ statement did not deny the Guardian's story.
A spokesman for the agency, based in Cheltenham, said: "Our work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the Interception and Intelligence Services Commissioners and the Intelligence and Security Committee."