Washington, Jan 18 : US President Barack Obama, in his formal announcement of changes to be employed in the National Security Agency's controversial spy-ops has reportedly said that the agency would require court's permission to access the stored phone data and cannot store the information itself.

The highly controversial mass surveillance programmes that were exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden pushed the US government to bring in major changes to the way its intelligence agency collects phone surveillance data and infringes on privacy laws.

According to Cnet, Obama said that the phone surveillance data, including information on calls placed and received, should be held by a third party, which is yet to be determined.

The announcement comes in light of the recently issued report of the White House appointed review committee that proposed a lot of changes to the agency's surveillance activities, including storage of metadata.

The report said that Obama ordered the attorney general and intelligence agencies to develop a workable third-party solution for the Section 215 metadata program by the end of March with solicit input from Congress , since the change could require legislation.

The president also ordered an end to spying on the heads of state of close US allies; gave foreigners more privacy protections in regard to NSA surveillance; and created a public advocacy panel. (ANI)