US: NSA ends program to monitor citizens' phones.

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama announced on November 27 that the National Security Agency (NSA) would end its program of monitoring millions of American citizens' phone calls every day and replace it with measures that are more focused on surveillance.

Illustrative image. (Source: maximsciences.com)

The White House stated that, under the provisions of the U.S. Congress passed six months ago, the NSA will end its large-scale surveillance program at 11:59 a.m. on November 28 (U.S. time) and replace it with a new system.

This change is a long-awaited victory for privacy advocates and tech companies concerned about government surveillance programs.

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said: “This law is a reasonable compromise that allows us to continue protecting the nation while still implementing reforms.”

This move comes two and a half years after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed the controversial program. It represents the biggest setback in U.S. surveillance capabilities since 9/11.

According to Vietnam+