The agency cited statements from an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, but did not specify whether the NSA had monitored the two organizations in the past.
US President Barack Obama has ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to stop eavesdropping on the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as part of a review of data collection practices, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The order is the latest move by the White House to demonstrate a willingness to curb surveillance since former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the massive data collection program by the US intelligence agencies, targeting US allies and adversaries as well as American citizens.
The surveillance of the IMF and World Bank headquarters in Washington had not been previously disclosed. The details of such spying programs usually remain top secret, Reuters reports.
Asked by Reuters about the matter, a senior Obama administration official said: “The United States does not conduct electronic surveillance targeting the World Bank and IMF headquarters in Washington.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify whether the NSA had monitored the two organizations in the past.
As Reuters reports, citing statements by a US official, Obama ordered these practices to stop in recent weeks, around the same time he instructed the NSA to limit wiretapping at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
According to Reuters, both the IMF and the World Bank declined to comment.
Source: protothema.gr
