Obama surveillance pledge will change little: Assange

January 18, 2014 03:26

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today dismissed President Barack Obama's proposals to curb the reach of the National Security Agency (NSA), saying they would change very little.

In a speech intended to quell the furor over surveillance programs leaked by Edward Snowden, Obama said spy taps on friendly world leaders would be halted while foreigners caught in US data mining would be given new protections.

Obama however argued that bulk data collection must be allowed to continue in order to protect America from terrorists.

Assange described Obama's speech as "embarrassing", telling CNN in an interview from London that the proposals would have little effect.

Obama had been "dragged, kicking and screaming" into making today's comments, only because of revelations from Snowden and other intelligence leakers before him, Assange said.

"It's embarrassing for a head of state to go on like that for 45 minutes and say almost nothing," Assange told CNN.

"He is being very reluctant to make any concrete reforms. And unfortunately today we also see very few concrete reforms."

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