What is Five Eyes?
Gordon Corera, the BBC’s security correspondent, talks to Claire Graham about the origins of the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada's intelligence pact, known as Five Eyes.
A secret intelligence pact between the UK and US began during the Second World War, focused on intercepting communications and breaking codes. Expanding to what is now known as Five Eyes, with the addition of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the secrecy around the alliance continued for decades. It wasn’t until 2013, when the ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified documents, that the extent of its operations came into the public spotlight.
Gordon Corera, the BBC’s security correspondent, talks to Claire Graham about the origins of this spy network and how relevant it is in a modern digital world.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Sat 9 Dec 202311:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
- Sat 9 Dec 202316:32GMTBBC World Service News Internet
- Sat 9 Dec 202319:32GMTBBC World Service West and Central Africa
- Sun 10 Dec 202304:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sun 10 Dec 202311:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Mon 11 Dec 202300:32GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa
- Mon 11 Dec 202303:32GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa
Podcast
![]()
The Explanation
Where the world is explained. Making sense of the big stories - looking behind the spin

