After allegations arose that the German intelligence agency BND spied on officials at the behest of the National Security Agency (NSA), Germany has put a halt to its internet surveillance for the U.S. agency.
German authorities told Reuters that the NSA has to give a detailed explanation for all spying request moving forward after the NSA refused to provide clear justification for their previous surveillance requests.
The reputations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's and her colleagues have taken a hit. According to a poll from INSA, 62 percent of Germans think the leader's has been threatened. The BND's role in helping the U.S. spy on European officials, viewed as a violation a 2002 info-sharing agreement between the two countries, is being probed, according to the New York Times.
Critics are demanding Merkel release the list of search terms Germany was asked to monitor.