The ongoing revelations about the extent of NSA data collection are causing other countries to tighten up their security and keep their citizens' data private. Germany in particular has been talking about keeping its internet traffic and email messages private within the country for some time, and now the country is planning to work with France to help build a network throughout Europe that keeps data away from the United States. According to Reuters, German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured above) is planning to discuss a European communication network that'll keep internet traffic away from the US with French President Francois Hollande when they meet later this week.

This comes after it was revealed that the NSA had monitored Chancellor Merkel's cell phone communications for more than a decade — something Merkel called "a serious breach of trust." Now, Merkel wants to enlist other countries in its privacy push. "Above all, we'll talk about European providers that offer security for our citizens, so that one shouldn't have to send emails and other information across the Atlantic," Merkel said. "Rather, one could build up a communication network inside Europe."

According to today's report, French President Hollande's office is receptive to working with Germany on this front; France confirmed it is working with Germany and generally agrees with Germany's ideas. In addition to Germany's work securing its internet traffic, it has also been trying to work with the US on a "no-spy" agreement — but with no success as of yet. Germany is hardly the only country to respond in this fashion as well — Brazil also wants to keep its traffic away from the US, but some are concerned that increased division of the internet along country borders will go against the very principles the internet was founded on.