GCSB head Ian Fletcher yesterday acknowledged there was no protection of New Zealanders' data stored in servers overseas from lawful interception by spy agencies in those countries.
He and the head of the Security Intelligence Service, Warren Tucker, both gave Parliament's Intelligence and Security committee an assurance that their respective agencies were not involved in mass collection of New Zealanders' data. And nor did it use other countries or allow itself to be used by other countries to get around domestic laws prohibiting spying on nationals.
But Mr Fletcher explained that the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) did not affect each country's ability to conduct surveillance of New Zealanders' data stored in their countries.
When questioned by Labour leader David Cunliffe, Mr Fletcher said he had "no reason to believe there is any particular targeting of New Zealanders' data".
But he gave more information about the intelligence alliance than has been heard before at Parliament.