Brazil , a leading critic of American spying , appeared caught in a bind when a news report claimed that the South American giant conducted espionage of its own . But there is no hypocrisy here , the Brazilian government says , even as it defends its own snooping by using the same arguments the United States has espoused . `` I see the situations as completely different , '' Brazilian Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo told Folha de Sao Paulo , the newspaper that broke the story of Brazil 's spying , in comments reported Tuesday . Europe falls out of love with Obama over NSA spying claims . What the NSA is accused of doing to Brazil and other countries is a breach of secrecy , he said . `` That is interception of data , interceptions of phone calls . Intercepts that affront Brazil 's sovereignty , '' he said . What Brazil did was engage in counterespionage measures that are allowed under its law , the minister said . Based on reports , the type of spying Brazil engaged in pales in comparison with what the United States is accused of . Mexico to summon U.S. ambassador over spying allegations . Diplomatic relations between the the United States and Brazil were strained after leaked documents claimed that the U.S. National Security Agency spied on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her aides . In the wake of the NSA scandal , Brazil postponed a state visit to the United States , and Brazil and Germany were drafting a United Nations resolution on privacy in electronic communication . The twist came last week , when Folha de Sao Paulo revealed that Brazil itself spied on foreign diplomats inside Brazil in 2003 and 2004 . Its targets included officials from Russia , Iran and the United States . On Monday , Brazil 's Institutional Security Cabinet , which overseas intelligence gathering , admitted that it had spied but defended its actions . Not only did the spying take place 10 years ago , but it took place within the bounds of Brazilian laws to protect national interests , the government said in a statement . While respecting the freedom of the press in Brazil , it is a crime to leak classified information , and those responsible for the leak will be prosecuted , the statement said . These statements echo U.S. arguments that it acted within its legal framework and that the U.S. leaker , Edward Snowden , should face criminal charges . Cordozo gave a third argument in defense of the Brazilian spying , which also sounds familiar : that every country engages in this type of activity . The difference , he told Folha de Sao Paulo , is that Brazil 's spying did not violate anyone 's rights or sovereignty . `` This seems to me a very crucial difference , '' he said . `` If we do n't make that distinction , it gives the impression that what we are using the same method that we are criticizing . That is not the case . '' Spying on allies - everybody does it .
Brazil admitted that it spied on diplomats in 2003 and 2004 . The country has been one of the biggest critics of spying by the NSA . Brazilian officials say the two cases are not comparable .