NSA staff drew a smiley face to illustrate the point where the agency intercepted the transfer of user data between Google's international data centers. The diagram prompted an internet meme

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

New revelations that NSA had broken into Google and Yahoo datacenters have led to a fresh line of questioning for NSA chief Keith Alexander, but it was the slide published alongside the story that caused particular fury.

The diagram sketched by an NSA staffer, on what looks like a Post-It note, shows the point at which it intercepted Google's data transters. There, they drew a smiley emoticon.

As Slate's Will Oremus wrote:

The smiley face might seem like a harmless quirk, but it’s more than that. It’s an indication that the NSA's agents did not regret having to break into major American corporations’ systems and steal their data. They relished it.

The NSA slide heard around the internet

Naturally, as well as the serious howls of protest, the drawing spawned an internet meme.

The NSA's guide to papal spying

This gem from Berkman Center fellow Ryan Budish was our inspiration for this post:

Michael (@_cypherpunks_) Very good one by @budish: New NSA doc explains Papal spying! pic.twitter.com/Q0YdGOipTS

Is a meme really a meme without a good gif?

Further inspiration was provided by Twitter's personal photoshop comedian, the mysterious @Darth:

Wolfsplaining the NSA.

And so the Guardian US newsroom struck out on its own.

The NSA guide to Halloween

This effort by US social news editor Katie Rogers, who is really tired of reading your thinkpieces about the evils of candy corn.

(By the way, candy corn is delicious.)

The NSA guide to Halloween

The NSA guide to the debt ceiling

This NSAsplainer comes courtesy of Guardian US finance and economics editor Heidi Moore, who has been waiting for the opportunity to make art out of the never-ending US debt ceiling debate:

This NSA guide includes Tortilla Coast

The NSA guide to Santa Claus

From Guardian US assistant news editor Erin McCann, who is apparently tired of holiday story planning already.

Fat, judgmental old man

The NSA guide to Brooklyn

From US community coordinator Ruth Spencer, who didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but Girls is over. Sorry, Lena Dunham.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest How Girls has had its day

The NSA guide to romcoms

Another one from Heidi Moore, office romantic.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatever happened to Meg Ryan?

The NSA guide to Twitter

Courtesy of our US finance and economics intern Jana Kasperkevic, who NSAsplains Twitter's IPO.

Nice use of 'IRL'

Can you #NSASplain? Here's the template.

Readers are using the comments or Twitter to send us their best creations. Topics so far range from NSASplaining the NSA itself to the flux capacitor from Back to the Future. Which is why we love our readers.

So tweet us yours using the hashtag #NSASplain, tweeting @GuardianUS or by posting a link to your creation in the comments below.

Can you #NSASplain? Use this template.

The NSA guide to bronies