The New York Times cited a statement from Airbus:
We are aware that as a major player in this industry we are a target for intelligence activities. In this particular case there appears to be a reasonable suspicion of alleged industrial espionage. We are alarmed by this.
German media reports allege that the country’s intelligence service, the BND, has gathered company information for years for the NSA. The BND is also accused of helping the NSA spy on European Commission and other government officials.
The NSA released a statement cited at CNNMoney acknowledging that it “does collect information about economic and financial matters, and terrorist financing.” However, the agency says:
What we do not do, as we have said many times, is use our foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of – or give intelligence we collect to – U.S. companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line.
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung said Thursday that there was only sporadic evidence of industrial espionage. Primary targets of the surveillance by BND were high-ranking officials in France and the European Commission. (Translation by Google Translate)
Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders told CNN, “Nobody knows right now what the truth is. If there’s so much smoke, I guess there must be fire someplace.”
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