"As a matter of policy we have made clear that the United States gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden on Monday.

France on Monday demanded an explanation after a report that the US National Security Agency secretly recorded millions of phone calls made in the country.

The spy agency taped 70.3 million phone calls in France over a 30-day period from December last year, Le Monde reported in its online version, citing documents from former US security contractor Edward Snowden.

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls described the revelations in Le Monde newspaper as "shocking", in an interview with French radio Europe 1.

Meanwhile, Mexico has demanded answers from Washington following a report in a German weekly that US agents hacked into former president Felipe Calderon's email account.

Der Spiegel cited documents provided by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden as the source of its report, which claimed that the NSA has spied on the Mexican government for years.

"The Mexican government reiterates its categorical condemnation of the violation of privacy of institutional communications and Mexican citizens," Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement.

In September Mexican President Pena Nieto said that in a telephone call, President Barack Obama promised to investigate the spying allegations.

NTJ/BA