One of the questioners was Edward J. Snowden, the former United States government contractor who leaked millions of documents concerning National Security Agency programs. Appearing in a prerecorded video message from a location that was not identified, he asked Mr. Putin about Russia’s own use of electronic surveillance.

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Mr. Snowden said that he had seen “little discussion of Russia’s own involvement in the policies of mass surveillance.”

“So I’d like to ask you,” he continued, “does Russia intercept, store or analyze in any way the communications of millions of individuals?”

“Mr. Snowden, you are a former agent,” Mr. Putin replied. “I used to work for an intelligence service. Let’s speak in a professional language.”

“Our intelligence efforts are strictly regulated by our law,” Mr. Putin said. “You have to get a court’s permission first.” Mr. Putin noted that terrorists use electronic communications and that Russia had to respond to that threat.

“Of course we do this,” Mr. Putin said. “But we don’t use this on such a massive scale and I hope that we won’t.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2545417&forum_id=2#25397700)