NSA to Spy for Google

Google has made a deal with the National Security Agency, according to a person who witnessed the agreement.

In the wake of recent allegations that cyber hackers in China infiltrated Google’s security systems on its email system, Gmail, and through other channels, Google sought help from the biggest counterintelligence agency in the United States, the NSA, to spy on potential wrongdoers.

NSA to Spy for Google

Civil liberties groups immediately protested the alliance, which they say could have grave implications for personal privacy on the internet.

"Google and N.S.A. are entering into a secret agreement that could impact the privacy of millions of users of Google’s products and services around the world," said Marc Rotenberg, leader of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Google apparently approached the NSA after learning that the attacks against its systems originated in China. The NSA's computer systems and personnel reportedly have a better ability to track the exact location of hackers.

Neither the NSA nor Google has commented yet on the issue of their new agreement. The NSA's official line is that they work with "a broad range of commercial partners," but they will not release specific information about who or how they support companies.