The detention of the partner of the journalist who reported the Edward Snowden spying revelations was "legally and procedurally sound", according to Scotland Yard.
David Miranda was questioned for nine hours after being held at a London airport under anti-terror laws - the legal limit before a suspect must be charged or released.
Mr Miranda, the partner of The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, was changing planes en route from Germany to his home in Brazil and called it a "total abuse of power".
Mr Greenwald - the reporter who interviewed American whistleblower Edward Snowden - called Mr Miranda's detention a "profound attack on press freedoms and the newsgathering process".
Russia has given Edward Snowden temporary political asylum "To detain my partner for a full nine hours while denying him a lawyer, and then seize large amounts of his possessions, is clearly intended to send a message of intimidation to those of us who have been reporting on the NSA (National Security Agency) and GCHQ," he said.
However, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "The examination of a 28-year-old man under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at Heathrow airport on Sunday … was subject to a detailed decision-making process.
"The procedure was reviewed throughout to ensure the examination was both necessary and proportionate.
"Our assessment is that the use of the power in this case was legally and procedurally sound."
It added: "Contrary to some reports the man was offered legal representation while under examination and a solicitor attended. No complaint has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service at this time."
Laura Poitras was nominated for an Oscar White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the UK gave the United States advance notice that London police intended to detain Mr Miranda but added the US did not request the detention and was not involved in the decision.
But Mr Miranda claimed UK officials did the bidding for the US in trying to force him to reveal passwords for his electronic devices.
Mr Miranda said: "They were threatening me all the time and saying I would be put in jail if I didn't co-operate.
"They treated me like I was a criminal or someone about to attack the UK … It was exhausting and frustrating, but I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong."
Meanwhile Mr Greenwald's editor, Alan Rusbridger, published an article revealing two agents from GCHQ visited the newspaper's London head office and watched as hard drives loaded with Snowden data were destroyed.
Labour's Yvette Cooper called for an urgent investigation Mr Rusbridger said the action was agreed to after intense pressure from the heart of Government, amid the possibility of prior restraint being used to thwart further revelations in The Guardian. He said in future the paper would publish details from abroad.
In Germany, Mr Miranda had visited US filmmaker Laura Poitras who has been working on the Snowden NSA files with Mr Greenwald and The Guardian.
Labour called for an urgent investigation into the use of the powers to question Mr Miranda after he said agents took his "computer, video game, mobile phone, my memory card. Everything".
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Any suggestion that terror powers are being misused must be investigated and clarified urgently - the public support for these powers must not be endangered by a perception of misuse."
Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, said it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that the move was an attempt to intimidate a journalist.
He said: "Journalism may be embarrassing and annoying for governments but it is not terrorism."
Downing Street said the case was an "operational matter for the police".
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