Washington: The US National Security Agency monitored and documented the online pornography viewing habits of six Muslims accused of spreading radical ideology in order to harm their reputation, according to a report based on a document provided by leaker Edward Snowden.
None of the six individuals targeted by the NSA is accused in the document of being involved in terror plots and all are believed to currently reside outside the U.S..
Only one is described as a ‘U.S. person,' which means he is either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and therefore entitled to greater legal protections against NSA surveillance than foreigners.
The NSA accuses two of the targets of promoting Al Qaeda propaganda, but states that surveillance of the three English-speakers' communications revealed that they have ‘minimal terrorist contacts.'
The document claims three Arabic-speaking targets have more contacts with affiliates of extremist groups, but does not suggest they themselves are involved in any terror plots.
The NSA possesses embarrassing sexually explicit information about at least two of the targets by virtue of electronic surveillance of their online activity.
The report states that some of the data was gleaned through FBI surveillance programs carried out under the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act.
The director of the National Security Agency is listed as the ‘originator' of the document which lists recipients including officials at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce and the DEA.
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