President Obama orders review of U.S. spying as world leaders push for new limits on surveillance
(CBS News) Foreign leaders - some of them top allies of the United States - are furious with the National Security Agency's snooping. European leaders are pushing for new limits on U.S. surveillance, and President Obama is feeling the heat, ordering a review of whom the U.S. is spying on and why.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, "We wanted to ensure we're collecting information because we need it and not just because we can."
Special Section: NSA Surveillance Exposed
It's not enough for the leaders of Germany and France. Both countries want a halt to eavesdropping on leaders, companies and law-abiding citizens after allegations the National Security Agency gathered tens of thousands of French phone records and hacked German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone.
The German leader said trust has been severely shaken and something had to change. The spying revelations come from leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden - reports that the U.S. had spied on 35 world leaders. Brazil's president canceled a state dinner after learning she was a target. Spain's prime minister says he'll summon the U.S. ambassador.
But Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron pointed the finger back at Snowden, saying the leak of classified information would make it harder for his and other countries to keep citizens safe. He said, "What Snowden is doing, and to an extent what the newspapers are doing in helping him doing what he's doing, is frankly signaling to people who mean to do us harm how to evade and avoid intelligence and surveillance."
The U.S. already has a no-spying agreement with four countries: Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Senior officials in the White House tell CBS News they're giving allies a heads-up on what may come next as a result of Snowden's leaks. They also say the White House is open to talks with European governments about a no-spying agreement. Germany and France want to be added to the list. And Brazil is leading a push for a United Nations resolution to limit intelligence gathering. If it passes, it will be non-binding.
Watch Kelly Cobiella's full report above.