Obama to Germany's Merkel: US not monitoring your phone

President Barack Obama has assured German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the United States “is not monitoring and will not monitor” her phone calls, the White House said.

The reassurance was offered in a phone call between the two leaders in which Chancellor Merkel told President Obama that the monitoring of her phone would be unacceptable. A Merkel spokesman said the German government “has received information that the chancellor's cell phone may be monitored by American intelligence.” Steffen Seibert said Chancellor Merkel told President Obama that “she views such practices, if the indications are confirmed ... as completely unacceptable.” White House spokesman Jay Carney looked to downplay the potential rift, saying the US government was “reviewing the way we gather intelligence to ensure the balance the security concerns ... with privacy concerns.”