A traitor, a hero, a whistleblower, a patriot, or a coward – one man many adjectives. So who really is Edward Snowden? He is a computer geek who exposed the US government. Born in North Carolina, Snowden’s family worked for the federal government, only in time he initially worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) and later for the CIA. It is the disclosure that made him appear in the headlines.
Snowden became so popular that even the cinema adapted him into their storylines. In 2016, the film ‘Snowden’ was released directed by Oliver Stone, and written by Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald. The movie was based on Snowden leaking classified US government material. Even a documentary based on similar events titled ‘Citizenfour’ directed by Laura Poitras won the Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards. So, what exactly did he do?
What Did Edward Snowden Expose About The US Government?
Edward Snowden will go down in history as one of America’s most controversial whistleblowers for leaking information regarding one of the most secretive organizations in the world – the NSA. In an interview he also revealed that he did not do anything wrong by leaking sensitive secrets. By 2007, the CIA stationed Snowden under diplomatic cover in Geneva, Switzerland, which allowed him to access a wide array of classified documents. What he discovered was truly disturbing and shocking.
Among the many revelations are the NSA’s bulk collection of phone and internet metadata from U.S. users, and spying on the personal communications of foreign leaders including U.S. allies. He also revealed the NSA’s ability to tap undersea fiber optic cables, siphon off data and tapped directly into servers of nine internet firms including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to track online communication.
Just after fleeing to Hong Kong, Edward Snowden revealed to South China’s Morning Post that the NSA had led more than 61,000 hacking operations worldwide, including many in mainland China and Hong Kong. According to a secret file leaked to the Guardian, a total of 38 embassies and missions have been the targets of US spying operations. Adding more fuel to the issue, the expose also revealed that the NSA breaks the US privacy law almost a hundred times a year.
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Why Did Edward Snowden Become A Whistleblower?
Leaking the classified information about the US Government was a pretty bossy move, but a quite necessary one according to Edward Snowden. In an interview, Snowden revealed that the reason behind his actions was solely motivated by his belief that the spying program was illegal and immoral. In another interview with the Guardian, he said, “My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.”
Edward Snowden initially did not expose the US government as the election of Barrack Obama in 2008 gave him the hope that there would be real reforms. But unfortunately, things did not go as planned as Snowden did not trust the Obama administration. While working in Geneva, Snowden realized that he was a part of something that was doing far more harm than good.
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