This law applies to all email communications, including those between U.S. persons. The article you linked to talks about incidental data about U.S. persons collected by means <i>other than</i> &quot;from a wire on American soil.&quot; Specifically, the NSA collection extends to:<p>&gt; [The] contents of the phone calls and email the security agency vacuums up around the world, including bulk collection of satellite transmissions, communications between foreigners as they cross network switches in the United States, and messages acquired overseas or provided by allies.