NSA Surveillance Rules Will Keep Ban on Commercial Spying

Changes in how the National Security Agency collects and stores information will keep in place prohibitions that prevent American companies from getting that data for competitive advantage, a member of a White House advisory panel said today.

NSA procedures make clear that commercial espionage isn’t allowed, said Peter Swire, one of five members on a panel that reviewed the NSA’s handling of phone and e-mail records. The policy outlined by President Barack Obama last week “conforms with previous practice” and spells out the U.S. approach, Swire told reporters in Brussels, where he was scheduled to speak at a conference.