US President Barack Obama to release NSA review on spying

THE White House will release a review panel's report today calling for reforms in National Security Agency spying sweeps.

President Barack Obama said US citizens were not spied on by the NSA. Picture: AP

THE White House will release a review panel's report today calling for reforms in National Security Agency spying sweeps.

USPresident Barack Obama's spokesman Jay Carney said the report was being released earlier than a planned date in January due to incomplete and inaccurate media reporting about what it contains.

Mr Obama met members of the review panel to work through the 46 recommendations in the report.

The president has said he would try to enforce some self restraint on the part of the shady spy agency in its internet and phone data collection operations.

Mr Obama is due to consider which recommendations he will accept and will then make a speech to the American people in January.

The release of the report comes with intense pressure building on the administration over the programs, from political opponents, the Internet industry and even the courts.

A federal judge in Washington this week ruled that NSA programs, which have scooped up millions of details on telephone calls and Internet traffic on Americans and foreigners, was probably unconstitutional.

The ruling opened a long legal battle which is likely to end up in the Supreme Court.