German internet tycoon Kim Dotcom says Prime Minister John Key is lying about what he knew about him before police raided his Coatesville home in January 2012. Video / Mark Mitchell

Charges that the United States spied on the European Union and three friendly nations have unleashed one of the most public rows in transatlantic history.

A crucial term in the GCSB amendment bill was singled out for clarification yesterday by Appeal Court Judge Sir Grant Hammond.

Prime Minister John Key has made a second top-level intelligence and security appointment, as a Parliamentary committee starts hearings on the GCSB.

Under the promise of protection we surrender privacy, writes Chris Barton. Once given up, it's a freedom we may never get back.

Civil libertarians and privacy rights activists have legitimate reason to oppose the GCSB bill in its present form, writes Paul Buchanan. "The definition of threat to national security under which the GCSB would act is too nebulous."

It appears our biggest domestic terror threat is either Tame Iti's training camps or Dotcom's (alleged) copyright infringements.

Scaremongering by uninformed commentators has not helped a balanced and considered debate take place, writes Rhys Ball. "Spying is intrusive and it is important."

Labour's Trevor Mallard says United Future leader Peter Dunne should not have his funding restored even if his party re-registers.

A majority of voters want an inquiry into the GCSB spy agency and the SIS, the latest Herald DigiPoll survey shows.

After relying on questionable advice about the legality of its spying on kiwis over the last decade, spy agency the GCSB is looking for new legal advisers.

Editorial: We need systems of oversight and accountability that are much more robust and open to independent review.

Prime Minister John Key says Labour opposition to the GCSB spy agency amendment bill could prevent New Zealanders being safe in an event like the Boston bombings.

A clean-up of GCSB faults doesn't seem to have happened yet, with another display of "unnecessary silliness" being exposed, writes David Fisher.

The PM said this morning he's open to compromise with NZ First over changes to the country's spying laws, and that he expects Peter Dunne's support too.

Ecuador's Foreign Minister said his country was "analysing" a request for asylum by fugitive United States intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

Government Chief Information Officer Colin McDonald is to get more powers and a bigger budget as the Government seeks to keep a lid on IT debacles like Novopay.

Prime Minister John Key gave an assurance yesterday that New Zealand's spies in the SIS and GCSB could not gather information about a person from various databases and then apply for a warrant.

The Law Society has made a stinging attack on proposed law changes governing the GCSB spy agency.

Among the few possessions Edward Snowden had with him when he met journalists at Hong Kong's Mira Hotel was a copy of Angler.

The principals of two Dunedin high schools are worried the latest "babe of the day'' Facebook page could put pupils at risk from sexual predators.

The danger is that the techniques devised today by NSA data miners to track potential terrorists may tomorrow be employed by private sector, writes Gehan Gunasekara.

Far from being alarmed, the Key Government seems set to make the work of the spies, both their own and the overseas variety, even easier, writes Brian Rudman.

Edward Snowden had a life that superficially sounded nothing short of idyllic and for some reason, he threw it away with a few leaked documents revealing the reach of the US National Security Agency.

I used to know someone who spent a lot of time on computers, fancied himself as a bit of a tech-head and was concerned about security.