Tempora uses intercepts on the fibre-optic cables that make up most of the internet. It gets large amounts of internet users' personal data, without any individual suspicion or targeting.[4]
The existence of Tempora was revealed by Edward Snowden. He is a former American intelligence contractor who leaked information to former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald in May 2013. This was part of Snowdon's revelations of government-sponsored mass surveillance programs. Data collected by the Tempora program is shared with the National Security Agency of the United States.[5]
References
↑Philip Bump (21 June 2013). The UK Tempora program captures vast amounts of data – and shares with NSA. The Atlantic Wire. [1][permanent dead link]