Encryption boom in Germany follows revelations of National Security Agency’s spying abilities

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Revelations about the National Security Agency’s electronic eavesdropping capabilities have sparked anger in Germany and a boom in encryption services that make it hard for the most sophisticated spies to read emails, listen to calls or comb through texts.

Jon Callas, co-founder of Silent Circle, which sells an encryption app that allows users to talk and text in private, says a series of disclosures from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden last year have been a real boon for business.

Silent Circle is one of a host of online security companies pitching products to security-conscious customers around the world who want to shield their communications from foreign governments — and nowhere is the market hotter than in Germany. Eavesdropping targets have reportedly included German Chancellor Angela Merkel.