EU 'concerned' by US surveillance reports THE European Union says it is concerned that a vast secret US intelligence gathering operation could affect the privacy of EU citizens. "We have seen media reports about this," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said. "We are of course concerned about the possible consequences for EU citizens' privacy but it's far too early to draw any conclusions at the moment," Malmstroem said after a meeting with her EU colleagues in Luxembourg. "We will be contacting our American counterparts to seek more information about this," she added. The latest revelations show the US government organised a huge dragnet of internet and phone data, with the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) tapping servers of nine internet giants - including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, YouTube and Google. Reports about the scope of the operation have deepened the controversy over the post-September 11 surveillance infrastructure set up by US intelligence agencies. US President Barack Obama staunchly defended the system on Friday, saying the surveillance was legal.