Handout of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden on the cover of the September 2014 issue of WIRED magazine
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden is shown on the cover of the September 2014 issue of WIRED magazine in this picture provided by WIRED on August 13, 2014. Snowden opened up for an exclusive interview by fellow whistleblower James Bamford and photo shoot from an undisclosed hotel in Moscow, Russia. Snowden, wanted by the U.S. or leaking extensive secrets of its electronic surveillance programs, has been given a three-year residence permit by Russia recently, according to his Russian lawyer. REUTERS/Platon/WIRED/Handout v

Edward Snowden, former US Intelligence analyst who defected to Russia has alleged that the National Security Agency of the U.S. is running a facility in Auckland and in the north of New Zealand. He added that NSA was collecting mass surveillance data on New Zealanders through its XKeyscore programme.

Snowden made these charges while addressing the event named Moment Of Truth, organised by Kim Dotcom, the controversial web millionaire. He addressed the gathering from Russia through a video link, reported Stuff.co.

Snowden also claimed that while working at NSA he had "routinely" come across communications of New Zealanders working in the XKeyscore mass surveillance tool. Saying that the project was granular access to the database of communications under a mass surveillance system, Snowden dismissed the PM's claim that it was meant for cyber security. He said the project was for tracking private email, text messages of individuals and their internet traffic.

Spy Sensor

Snowden explained that a network of sensors placed across the world would would enable snooping of any email address. One such sensor is placed in New Zealand. Snowden alleged that X-Keyscore has been collecting the communications of New Zealanders and it was not doing any foreign scooping.

Snowden's said within the Five Eyes intelligence network, the task of New Zealand's GCSB was collection of communications.

John Key Shows Data

Shortly before the Kim event, Prime Minister John Key came out with a series of Cabinet papers to counter the allegations that his government was snooping on the citizens. He regretted the "misinformation" about the operations of GCSB.

Key dismissed the allegations as a fall out of half baked information and asserted that no cable access surveillance ever happened in New Zealand. Also no mass surveillance of New Zealanders was undertaken by the GCSB.

Flays Secrecy

Criticising John Key for declassifying documents to exonerate himself, American journalist Greenwald asked Key to explain why facts were being concealed for well over a year. He alleged that the very fact that the information has been kept classified showed there was an urge to conceal what the government was doing.

Greenwald claimed that the Snowden documents he had, clearly showed that in 2012/2013, the GCSB and NSA worked together on a mass surveillance programme 'code named as Speargun. It also involved installing equipment to gain access to the main undersea internet cable link called Southern Cross Cable.