The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS), held its first-ever hearing on October 28, 2013 on the NSA's mass surveillance and its impact on human rights in the Americas. The hearing was held at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union, and included the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue. The commission heard testimonies on human rights implications of NSA surveillance programs, including on the rights to privacy and free speech, U.S. obligations to protect these rights for both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, and the inadequacy of legal protections for whistleblowers in the U.S. national security sector.

Watch the video of the hearing below: