US House passes bill to end NSA's collection of telephone data

Washington

THE US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to end the National Security Agency's (NSA) dragnet collection of telephone data from Americans, a controversial programme revealed in 2013 by former security contractor Edward Snowden.

The USA Freedom Act is seen as a big win for privacy and civil rights advocates. The White House backs the reforms, saying that the bill protects privacy while preserving essential national security authorities.