Who Does The NSA Spy On? [CHART]

This article first appeared on Floating Path.

President Obama has gotten himself into hot water with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after it was revealed that the NSA had tapped Merkel’s phone. This is being considered a serious breach of trust by the U.S. as Germany is considered an ally. Obama is denying any knowledge of the surveillance in favoring of claiming to be clueless and oblivious.

It raises the question though of who the U.S. should and should not be spying on. The FT gives a rough explanation below of how U.S. international surveillance procedures are theoretically structured.