Is personal data better shielded in Europe from the prying eyes of national security investigations than in the US? That is a general assumption of some, following the revelations by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. But it may be incorrect.

It is naive to think that European intelligence agencies do not use data collected from phone and internet companies in their investigations. Privacy hawks may also be surprised to learn that the US imposes at least as much due process and oversight on foreign intelligence surveillance as others. Currently, there is quarrelling over how well the judicial and legislative approval process is working in America. But the fact that it exists at all is the critical point because few countries provide the kind of framework of judicial authorisation and legislative oversight of national security investigations found in the US.

In France, for example, no court is involved in interceptions under the law governing access to information on national security grounds, and the interceptions are kept secret. Requests for interception are presented to the prime minister’s office, which grants authorisation. Afterwards, the authorisations are presented to a special security commission that can evaluate the justification for the warrant and inform the prime minister of any concerns.