Two French human rights groups filed a legal complaint targeting the U.S. - NSA, FBI & tech firms over Prism

(Reuters) - Two French human rights groups filed a legal complaint on Thursday targeting the U.S. National Security Agency, the FBI and seven technology companies they say may have helped the United States snoop on French citizens' emails and phone calls.


The complaint, which denounces U.S. spying methods revealed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, is filed against "persons unknown" but names Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Paltalk, Facebook, AOL and Apple as "potential accomplices" of the NSA and FBI.

Media reports that the United States has eavesdropped on European Internet users and embassies under a surveillance program named Prism have soured EU-U.S. relations, just as talks are starting on a transatlantic free trade pact.

"This blatant intrusion into individuals' lives represents a serious threat to individual liberties and, if not stopped, may lead to the end of the rule of law," the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the French Human Rights League (LDH) said in a statement.  More