Yahoo secretly scanned millions of accounts of their users’ e-mails as per the request of US intelligence agencies, BBC reports quoting Reuters and sources. 

According to the agency, Yahoo created application for making the analysis of the emails of all mail service users, after it received the secret directive.

The application checked all incoming messages for presence of certain symbol combination.

The requirement to check user emails was received from either the National Security Agency, or FBI, Reuter reports quoting three sources, two of which are Yahoo’s former employees. Reuters failed to find out if other Internet companies received the same requests.

“Yahoo is the law abiding company and observes the laws of the United States”, according to the message of Internet giant for BBC.

US laws permit the country’s intelligence agencies to receive user data, if it can help prevent the terrorist attack.

The companies can dispute such orders behind closed doors in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review.

However, according to Reuters, the information that Yahoo did not dispute this decision is important, because the company evidently expected that it will lose in any case.

The agency adds that some Yahoo’s employees were disappointed with the decision not to apply to court.

Edward Snowden, who made known the information about US intelligence agencies spying upon the citizens of many countries, responded to the article and wrote in Twitter: Using Yahoo? They secretly check everything you ever wrote… delete your account today”.