U.S. Surveillance Programs Threatening Freedom of Press

National Security Agency surveillance programs in the United States have made it very difficult for government officials to speak to the press anonymously, two rights groups said Monday, Reuters reports.

According to a new report jointly released by the Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, Monday, large-scale U.S. surveillance is seriously hampering the work of US-based journalists and lawyers.

The report is based on interviews with 46 journalists, 42 practicing attorneys and five current or former senior government officials. It was aimed at documenting the tangible impact of NSA surveillance on Americans, revealed by former NSA member Edward Snowden.

The National Security Agency's surveillance programs that include collection of telephone "metadata," have only added to government officials' concerns about dealing with the media, as "any interaction - any email, any phone call - risks leaving a digital trace that could subsequently be used against them," the report stated.

It further read: "Journalists told us that officials are substantially less willing to be in contact with the press, even with regard to unclassified matters or personal opinions, than they were even a few years ago."

According to the report, many ongoing surveillance programs in the U.S. go well beyond what is necessary so as to "ensure national security".

The Obama administration has been more insistent on silencing leakers than any of its recent predecessors. It has already charged eight people under the Espionage Act on suspicion of leaking information. After Snowden's disclosures, the administration stepped up efforts to detect "insider threats" from government employees who might leak information in future.

Many current U.S. surveillance programs go well beyond what is necessary to ensure national security, the report said.