ROME – Italian lawmakers say Premier Enrico Letta has assured them that as far as he knows the privacy of Italian leaders and ordinary citizens has not been violated by the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance work.
Letta gave a closed-door briefing Wednesday to Parliament's commission on intelligence and security matters. Lawmakers later told reporters that the premier assured them that there have been no violations that he is aware of regarding private communications or data involving ordinary citizens and members of government.
U.S. leaker Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA's spying programs have sparked concern among politicians in countries from Latin America to Europe. That includes explosive allegations that the NSA had monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone.