Report: NSA shares raw data on Americans with Israel

Newly revealed leaks by former security contractor Edward Snowden show that the National Security Agency shares raw intelligence data with Israel without removing potential information about American citizens and officials, The Guardian reported Wednesday.

The secret deal between the NSA and its counterpart, the Israeli Sigint National Unit, is not binding and does not place any legal limits on the use of the data, according to a memorandum between the two security agencies. Snowden had reportedly obtained the document.

The memorandum said the NSA will not filter the intelligence in advance and requires Israel to destroy anything "that is either to or from an official of the U.S. government." In the agreement, the NSA trusts its Israeli counterpart with protecting the privacy rights of Americans.

“NSA and ISNU have previously discussed the protection of U.S. person information, in relation to tasking joint collection operations, and agreed in principle to not task communications of U.S. citizens,” it said.

Responding to Al Jazeera’s request for clarification regarding the protection of American citizens’ information, the NSA said in an official statement that it follows the proper legal procedures.

"The fact that intelligence services work together under specific and regulated conditions mutually strengthens the security of both nations," the statement said. "Whenever we share intelligence information, we comply with all applicable rules, including the rules to protect U.S. person information." 

The latest revelations follow months of leaks from Snowden, who is now in Russia on a temporary asylum visa. Many of the leaks expose NSA efforts to collect data on civilians in the United States and abroad by tapping phone calls and Internet activity.