D Day for Spygate: The Scandal That Rocked International Relations The alleged US intelligence agency surveillance on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone was a scandal that sparked widespread outrage and led to a major shift in global surveillance practices.
What is Spygate? Spygate refers to the controversy surrounding the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) allegedly intercepting communications of foreign leaders, including Germany's Angela Merkel.
The scandal came to light in 2013 when Edward Snowden, then an NSA contractor, revealed that the US was monitoring Merkel's phone and other world leaders.