Claims that GCHQ used private data from United States security agencies to circumvent the law are baseless, Foreign Secretary William Hague tells the Commons.
William Hague faced questions in parliament on Monday on links between GCHQ and the US government’s Prism programme, revealed last week by the Guardian.
Prism is said to give the NSA and FBI easy access to the systems of nine of the world’s top internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo and Skype.
The row crossed the Atlantic after documents emerged suggesting British eavesdropping agency GCHQ had access to the system since at least June 2010.
Mr Hague told MPs that Britain had one of the strongest systems of checks and balances in the world, adding that while he understood public concern at recent accusations linking GCHQ to a US internet monitoring programme, they could be assured there was proper scrutiny.
Read: Prism and online spying: who is watching you?
The foreign secretary said he received hundreds of requests from the security services to carry out covert operations every year. Each, he said, was reviewed by lawyers to ensure they complied with a strict legal framework.
He said that “privacy is at the forefront of our minds” when decisions are taken about authorising intelligence officers to investigate British citizens.
Mr Hague said: “To intercept the content of any individual’s communications within the UK requires a warrant signed personally by me, the home secretary or another secretary of state.
“This is no casual process. Every decision is based on extensive legal and policy advice. Warrants are legally required to be necessary, proportionate and carefully targeted and we judge them on that basis.
“Considerations of privacy are also at the forefront of our minds as I believe they will have been in the minds of our predecessors. We take great care to balance individual privacy with our duty to safeguard the public and the UK’s national security.
Speaking before Mr Hague’s appearance, Mr Cameron warned that the government would not provide a “running commentary” on intelligence matters.
“There will be things that he will be able to explain, questions he will be able to answer. I am satisfied … we have intelligence agencies that do a fantastically important job for this country to keep us safe and they operate within the law.”
“It is worth remembering why we have intelligence services and what they do for us.
“But let me be absolutely clear: they are intelligence services which operate within the law, within the law that we have laid down and they are subject to proper scrutiny by the intelligence and security committee in the House of Commons.”
Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed the existence of the Prism system, has condemned the US government’s attempts “to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberty”.
Details about the programme and GCHQ’s involvement emerged following a leak by the former CIA worker at the National Security Agency (NSA).
Mr Snowden, 29, revealed his identity after fleeing to Hong Kong, telling reporters: “My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.”