This iconic New York skyscraper might really be a secret NSA spy hub

The New York City skyline.
(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

One of New York City's most iconic and mysterious buildings might secretly house an NSA spy hub, The Intercept reports. The AT&T Long Lines Building at 33 Thomas St. in Lower Manhattan towers 29 stories high with no windows or lighting at night; the concrete structure can reportedly withstand an atomic blast. Publicly the building is understood to be an important telecommunications hub used for processing long-distance phone calls from around the globe and is operated by an AT&T subsidiary, the New York Telephone Company. AT&T, notably, was a partner in the NSA's surveillance programs.

Indeed, documents leaked by Edward Snowden to The Intercept seem to point to more suspicious activity going on within 33 Thomas St. "It [...] appears to be one of the most important National Security Agency surveillance sites on U.S. soil — a covert monitoring hub that is used to tap into phone calls, faxes, and internet data," the documents state.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.