LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) - Vodafone, the world'ssecond-biggest mobile phone company, said government agencies ina small number of countries in which it operates have directaccess to its network, enabling them to listen in to calls.
Security agencies across the world, and in particular in theUnited States and Britain, have faced greater scrutiny sinceEdward Snowden, a former contractor with the U.S. NationalSecurity Agency (NSA), disclosed the extent of theirsurveillance to newspapers.
Snowden's disclosures caused an international uproar,showing that U.S. and British agencies' monitoring programmestook in ordinary people's telephone and electroniccommunications.
Vodafone on Friday published a "Disclosure Report" whichsaid that while in many of the 29 countries in which itoperates, government agencies need legal notices to tap intocustomers' communications, there are some countries where thisis not the case.
Vodafone said it could not give a full picture of all therequests it gets, because it is unlawful in several countries todisclose this information.
"In a small number of countries the law dictates thatspecific agencies and authorities must have direct access to anoperator's network, bypassing any form of operational controlover lawful interception on the part of the operator," thecompany said.
Vodafone has not named the countries where this can happen,but in the document it calls on governments to amend legislationso eavesdropping can only take place on legal grounds. (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by David Holmes)