The issue focused on the surveillance practices of the National Security Agency and its British counterpart GCHQ. However, the court appears to have taken the view that it should determine whether phone records must be obtained in order to combat terrorism – a crucial difference.


Google and Facebook are described by the technology industry as the world's most valuable companies – valued at an estimated US$80 billion and $60 billion respectively – but they cannot be used to search the internet for people suspected of being terrorists or people suspected of communicating