And, what did the NZ government have to do to receive this kind of info this info from the USA? This is probably the real scandal. How many other government need the USA to target whistleblowers in their own countries?
‘New Zealand’s eavesdropping agency used an Internet mass surveillance system to target government officials and an anti-corruption campaigner on a neighboring Pacific island, according to a top-secret document.
Analysts from Government Communications Security Bureau, or GCSB, programmed the Internet spy system XKEYSCORE to intercept documents authored by the closest aides and confidants of the prime minister on the tiny Solomon Islands. The agency also entered keywords into the system so that it would intercept documents containing references to the Solomons’ leading anti-corruption activist, who is known for publishing government leaks on his website….’
via New Zealand Used NSA System to Target Officials, Anti-Corruption Campaigner – The Intercept.