1.The NSA has tapped internet lines worldwide
The internet connects different continents via undersea fiber optic cables that carry staggering amounts of data. In some places, the NSA has deals with local intelligence agencies to tap into these cables; in others, it does so on its own. The NSA even uses submarines to attach snooping bugs to wires deep beneath in the ocean.

2.The NSA hacks foreign companies
In Brazil, Germany, and other countries, the NSA has broken into the internal networks of major telecommunications providers, intercepting the data they gather and weakening the security of their systems. It collects every email and phone call it can.

3.The NSA knows everything you own and buy
Through agreements and hacking, the NSA can access credit card networks, payment gateways, and wire-transfer facilities around the world. This monetary surveillance allows the NSA to follow every cent of your money and know where it comes from and what you spend it on.

4.The NSA spies on foreign leaders
Another revelation in the Snowden documents was that the NSA asks senior officials in the White House, State Department, and Pentagon to share personal information they have on foreign leaders.

The leaked memo revealed that over 200 confidential phone numbers were handed over to the NSA, which proceeded to tap their conversations. The NSA didn’t spare countries friendly to the U.S. either, with German leader Angela Merkel also one of the ones targeted.

5.The NSA can spy on tracking cookies
Cookies, or small packets of data that relay location history and used to serve you with targeted ads, have also been collected by the NSA. The spy agency has honed in on them to identify users around the world as prime hacking targets.