UN expresses concern to AT&T at reported wiretapping and announces bidding for new contracts

The United Nations says it expressed concern to AT&T over reports that the telecom giant allowed the United States to wiretap all Internet communications at U.N. headquarters.

The world body also says it will announce bidding for new communications contracts in the coming months.

Vannina Maestracci, a U.N. spokeswoman, said Wednesday that discussions with AT&T on the reported wiretapping would continue "over the coming months."

It was not immediately clear what impact those discussions would have on the upcoming bidding for a number of information technology and voice contracts.

The New York Times reported that AT&T provided technical assistance in carrying out a secret U.S. court order permitting the U.S. National Security Agency to wiretap all Internet communications at the U.N., a customer of the telecom company.