President Vladimir Putin told Edward Snowden that Russia does not carry out indiscriminate surveillance on its citizens, responding to a question the former US spy agency contractor in a televised question and answer session with the nation.

The government regulates communications as part of criminal investigations, but "on a massive scale, on an uncontrolled scale we certainly do not allow this and I hope we will never allow it," Putin told Snowden, who was granted asylum in Russia last year.