Brazil's communications minister is proposing giving emails the same level of legal protection afforded to letters sent by mail.
Paulo Bernardo Silva says a measure that would criminalize reading someone else's email is to be included in a proposal regulating the use of civilian computers in Brazil, which is being debated in Congress.
Silva made the announcement in remarks before Congress Wednesday, according to a ministry statement.
The announcement comes on the heels of revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs have targeted Brazil. Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper reported last month that the country is the NSA's top target in Latin America.
Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota expressed concerns about the issue during a meeting earlier this week with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
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