The most troubling aspect of this latest revelation is a discussion that reportedly took place between a global intelligence community known as the Five Eyes — the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — regarding the sharing of citizens’ “medical, legal and religious information,” according to the Guardian. 

The recently released document has added weight to the argument that major intelligence powers, who operate hand-in-hand with the U.S. National Security Agency, are exceeding the bounds of their legal mandates, and that their surveillance techniques violate the civil liberties of international citizens.