By . Jack Doyle . Mass spying claims made by Edward Snowden were rejected last night by a surveillance watchdog. Documents stolen by the rogue US agent led to reports in the Guardian as well as US newspapers that the secret services were snooping on millions of ordinary citizens. But in a report yesterday, Sir Anthony May ruled that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, were not engaged in ‘mass intrusion’. Exile: Edward Snowden speaking during a presentation ceremony in Moscow last year. Today a communications watchdog ruled the intelligence services were not involved in 'mass intrusion' However the Interception of Communications Commissioner did raise fears that the police were engaged in the ‘institutional overuse’ of surveillance powers. Constabularies carried out more than half a million electronic spying missions last year, the equivalent of more than 1,400 a day, his review said. Sir Anthony said he was concerned that police and the National Crime Agency were failing to consider privacy issues. By contrast, the former high court judge gave the three intelligence and security agencies a clean bill of health following a wide-ranging review of their activities. He said they did not ‘misuse’ the powers given to them by Parliament to engage in ‘random mass intrusion in to the private lives of law abiding citizens’. Such acts are not permitted by law and would be ‘comprehensively unlawful’, he added. Speech: Yesterday, the rogue agent joined a discussion via video-link, about the US government's use of mass surveillance during a parliamentary session in Strasbourg . The public should be reassured that unless they ‘associate with potential terrorists or serious criminals ... none of the interception agencies has the slightest interest in examining their emails, their phone or postal communications or their use of the internet’, he said. Sir Anthony also rejected allegations that spying agencies were ‘getting around the law’ by receiving intercepted communications about British citizens indirectly from US spy agencies. Judgement: Sir Anthony May, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, ruled that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, were not engaged in 'mass intrusion' Even when large amounts of material were collected by agencies, GCHQ was not permitted to  trawl through it indiscriminately,  he found. Senior intelligence figures have criticised the publication of Snowden’s stolen files. The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, said the publication of the top secret material had caused huge ‘harm’ to the capability of Britain’s intelligence services and amounted to a ‘gift’ to terrorists. Whitehall officials say it is considered to have caused the greatest damage to the Western security apparatus in history. Snowden, a former contractor with the US National Security Agency, stole tens of thousands of restricted files and leaked them to the Guardian and the Washington Post. He sought refuge in Russia where he was granted temporary asylum last summer. Home Secretary Theresa May said the report ‘makes clear the intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies and other public authorities operate lawfully, conscientiously and in the national interest’. Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has responsibility for GCHQ, said: ‘A senior and fully independent judge has looked in detail at whether the interception agencies misuse their powers to engage in random mass intrusion. He has concluded that the answer is emphatically no.’ Sir Anthony criticised the police’s use of communications data – which can show where users are sending emails and who they are calling, but not the content of any messages. He said the ‘very large number’ of 514,608 requests in 2013 showed officers may be using their powers as an automatic resort rather than worrying about privacy.
Documents stolen by rogue US agent were leaked to the media .
Reports said they revealed ordinary citizens were being snooped on .
Sir Anthony May said intelligence agencies were not engaged in 'intrusion'
Interception of Communications .
Commissioner raised fears police .
overused surveillance powers .
By . Jack Doyle . Mass spying claims made by Edward Snowden were rejected last night by a surveillance watchdog. Documents stolen by the rogue US agent led to reports in the Guardian as well as US newspapers that the secret services were snooping on millions of ordinary citizens. But in a report yesterday, Sir Anthony May ruled that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, were not engaged in ‘mass intrusion’. Exile: Edward Snowden speaking during a presentation ceremony in Moscow last year. Today a communications watchdog ruled the intelligence services were not involved in 'mass intrusion' However the Interception of Communications Commissioner did raise fears that the police were engaged in the ‘institutional overuse’ of surveillance powers. Constabularies carried out more than half a million electronic spying missions last year, the equivalent of more than 1,400 a day, his review said. Sir Anthony said he was concerned that police and the National Crime Agency were failing to consider privacy issues. By contrast, the former high court judge gave the three intelligence and security agencies a clean bill of health following a wide-ranging review of their activities. He said they did not ‘misuse’ the powers given to them by Parliament to engage in ‘random mass intrusion in to the private lives of law abiding citizens’. Such acts are not permitted by law and would be ‘comprehensively unlawful’, he added. Speech: Yesterday, the rogue agent joined a discussion via video-link, about the US government's use of mass surveillance during a parliamentary session in Strasbourg . The public should be reassured that unless they ‘associate with potential terrorists or serious criminals ... none of the interception agencies has the slightest interest in examining their emails, their phone or postal communications or their use of the internet’, he said. Sir Anthony also rejected allegations that spying agencies were ‘getting around the law’ by receiving intercepted communications about British citizens indirectly from US spy agencies. Judgement: Sir Anthony May, the Interception of Communications Commissioner, ruled that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, were not engaged in 'mass intrusion' Even when large amounts of material were collected by agencies, GCHQ was not permitted to  trawl through it indiscriminately,  he found. Senior intelligence figures have criticised the publication of Snowden’s stolen files. The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, said the publication of the top secret material had caused huge ‘harm’ to the capability of Britain’s intelligence services and amounted to a ‘gift’ to terrorists. Whitehall officials say it is considered to have caused the greatest damage to the Western security apparatus in history. Snowden, a former contractor with the US National Security Agency, stole tens of thousands of restricted files and leaked them to the Guardian and the Washington Post. He sought refuge in Russia where he was granted temporary asylum last summer. Home Secretary Theresa May said the report ‘makes clear the intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies and other public authorities operate lawfully, conscientiously and in the national interest’. Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has responsibility for GCHQ, said: ‘A senior and fully independent judge has looked in detail at whether the interception agencies misuse their powers to engage in random mass intrusion. He has concluded that the answer is emphatically no.’ Sir Anthony criticised the police’s use of communications data – which can show where users are sending emails and who they are calling, but not the content of any messages. He said the ‘very large number’ of 514,608 requests in 2013 showed officers may be using their powers as an automatic resort rather than worrying about privacy.
surveillance watchdog. Documents stolen by the rogue US agent led to reports in the Guardian as were snooping on millions of ordinary citizens. intrusion' However the Interception of Communications Commissioner did raise fears that the police were engaged in the ‘institutional overuse’ of surveillance powers. Constabularies activities. He said they did not ‘misuse’ the Anthony May, the Interception of Communications