German parliament cuts ties with Verizon in wake of spying scandal

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/27/german-parliament-cuts-ties-with-verizon-in-wake-of-spying-scandal/



German parliament cuts ties with Verizon in wake of spying scandal
By Reuters
Friday, June 27, 2014 14:42 EDT

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s lower house of parliament has joined the government in cutting ties with U.S. telecoms firm Verizon Communications Inc , in reaction to a scandal last year over U.S. government spying and allegations firms were handing over data.

~snip~

The Bundestag lower house of parliament plans to end its contract with Verizon “as soon as possible,” a government spokesperson told reporters on Friday. It had been due to run until the end of the year.

A day earlier the German Interior Ministry said the federal government would not renew its contract with the firm. The government needed a very high level of security, it said, and the NSA row had revealed ties between foreign intelligence agencies and companies.

Revelations of U.S. spying have prompted Germany to overhaul its internal communications and secure government networks. The decision to cut ties with Verizon are the first actions as a result. The government does not use U.S. firms for any other IT services, a spokesman said.