Snowden says PM not truthful on surveillance

National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden says Prime Minister John Key is not telling the truth about what he says is mass surveillance of New Zealanders.

In an article published online, Mr Snowden said he routinely came across New Zealanders' communications when he worked at the NSA.

He said any statement that mass surveillance was not performed in New Zealand and that it is not intentionally abetted by the Government's spy agency, the Government Communications and Security Bureau (GCSB), is false.

Mr Snowden said the GCSB provided mass surveillance data to a tool called XKEYSCORE, which was shared with the NSA.

He said the tool was used primarily for reading individuals' private email, text messages, and internet traffic.

Mr Snowden said the GCSB also provided access to the communication of millions of New Zealanders to the NSA - and that the Prime Minister was personally aware of that.

And the filmmaker Warner Bros is denying a report that Prime Minister John Key wanted the Internet businessman Kim Dotcom granted residency in New Zealand so he could be extradited to the United States.

An email published on the New Zealand Herald's website this afternoon purports to show Warner Bros chief executive Kevin Tsujihara claiming John Key told him the Government would grant Mr Dotcom residency despite concern from officials about his past convictions.

The email says Mr Key told Mr Tsujihara that the Government would help with Mr Dotcom's extradition once he was granted residency.

But Warner Bros has told Radio New Zealand that Mr Tsujihara did not write or send the alleged email and never had any such conversation with Mr Key.