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Five Eyes
Mar 27, 2026 5:09 PM

  Five Eyes international alliance Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Five-Eyes Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

  External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Nick Tabor Nick Tabor is a freelance journalist and the author of Africatown: America's Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created. Nick Tabor Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 10, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the Five Eyes alliance? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing alliance among five Anglophone countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did the Five Eyes alliance originate? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Five Eyes alliance originated in early 1941, during World War II, when American intelligence officials visited Bletchley Park in England, and the United States and United Kingdom began sharing intelligence." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is ECHELON? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "ECHELON is a global eavesdropping apparatus established by the Five Eyes alliance, reportedly capable of intercepting almost any electronic communication." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did the Five Eyes alliance expand beyond the original members? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were formally included in the Five Eyes agreement by 1955, and other countries later increased cooperation, forming the Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes alliances." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was revealed by Edward Snowden about the Five Eyes alliance? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Edward Snowdenu2019s leaks in 2013 revealed more information about the existence and reach of the Five Eyes alliance and the ECHELON network." } } ] } Top Questions What is the Five Eyes alliance? Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing alliance among five Anglophone countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

  How did the Five Eyes alliance originate? The Five Eyes alliance originated in early 1941, during World War II, when American intelligence officials visited Bletchley Park in England, and the United States and United Kingdom began sharing intelligence.

  What is ECHELON? ECHELON is a global eavesdropping apparatus established by the Five Eyes alliance, reportedly capable of intercepting almost any electronic communication.

  How did the Five Eyes alliance expand beyond the original members? Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were formally included in the Five Eyes agreement by 1955, and other countries later increased cooperation, forming the Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes alliances.

  What was revealed by Edward Snowden about the Five Eyes alliance? Edward Snowden’s leaks in 2013 revealed more information about the existence and reach of the Five Eyes alliance and the ECHELON network.

  Five Eyes, intelligence-sharing alliance among five Anglophone countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The alliance began during World War II between the United States and the United Kingdom and expanded to the other three countries during the early years of the Cold War. Its activities remained largely secret until an investigation by the European Parliament in 2001. Release of documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 further revealed its existence and reach. The earliest version of the Five Eyes arrangement began in early 1941 when American intelligence officials visited England’s Bletchley Park, the nerve ...(100 of 906 words)

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