What the world is reading: Bah,the private spy

Name a retired senior official from the CIA or the NSA,and theres a good chance he works for Booz Allen Hamilton BAH. Name a senior intelligence official in the government,and theres a good chance he used to work for BAH. What began in 1940 as a stop gap arrangement has turned into a long collaboration with the government contracting private parties to do the intelligences dirty work. In March 2013,BAH reported 5.76 billion in revenue,99 per cent of which came from government contracts, write Drake Bennett and Michael Riley. Its possible that fallout from Snowdens revelations will lead to changes in intelligence contracting. Yet,conversations with officials suggest that these contractors arent going anywhere. But in the wake of the Snowden leak,the role of private contractors has come under scrutiny. As Senator Susan Collins recently put it,Im stunned that an individual who didnt even have a high school diploma had access to classified information in our government.

THE NEW YORKER

WHOS WATCHING YOU?

Its sinister when Big Brother is watching you,but its even more sinister when Big Brother is you,sharing, says George Packer. The Silicon Valley was known for its rebellious and militantly anti-bureaucratic culture. Now,the NSAs story has changed the picture of Silicon Valley and its relation to the state. The opposition between the government and tech has been breaking down. Silicon Valley was aware of the downsides of a relationship with Washington but now it knows about potential positives. Democratic terms like open source and transparency have become outmoded distractions from the source of the tech giants phenomenal growth,which is data-mining and its monetisation, writes Packer. Being a consumer is discretionary; being a citizen isnt, says Packer. But Prism,the NSAs top-secret programme for data-mining,in its breathtaking expanse,is still less creepy than commercial companies storing up data via artful deceptions and brute market power. Prism is designed to prevent terror attacks. Ad algorithms are only for Google and Facebook to make profits.

THE ATLANTIC

SCREW YOU,US!

As Edward Snowden heads to Ecuador seeking asylum,the Hong Kong government released a fascinating statement that could mean trouble for China. The HK government didnt try to stop Snowden from leaving because the documents provided by the US Government to arrest Snowden did not fully comply with the legal requirements. Additionally it said,The HKSAR Government has formally written to the US requesting clarification on reports about the hacking in Hong Kong by US agencies. This is an artfully worded screw you to the US, writes Matt Shiavenza. But for Beijing,the sense of political identity is worrisome. Todays defiance of the US is tomorrows with a nearer,more closely connected,neighbour.