Edward Snowden: Ten years after the revelations

[Lord777]

On a day when our calendar marks the tenth anniversary of one of the most high-profile discoveries in the history of the digital age, we return to the breakthrough act of Edward Snowden, the man who bravely stood up to the system. In June 2013, Snowden, a former employee of the CIA and the US NSA, tore off the veil with a secret that was strenuously hidden from the world community: mass surveillance of information communications of citizens of many countries of the world.

He became a voice in the desert, saying that the authorities were tapping our phones, reading our emails, and monitoring our lives. His actions have divided the world into two camps: those who see him as a hero who defends the rights of citizens to privacy and freedom, and those who consider him a traitor who undermines the security of their state.

But who is he really-a fighter for human rights or a traitor to the interests of his country? What exactly did Snowden reveal and what were the consequences of his discoveries for the whole world? And what is happening to him today, ten years after the day he decided to share the truth with the world? We invite you to join us on this journey in the footsteps of its history to try to unravel these questions.

What did he do?​

Edward Snowden was born on June 21, 1983 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He did not finish high school, but studied computer science in college. In 2004, he tried to join the army, but was expelled due to a leg injury. He then joined the CIA as a system administrator. In 2007, he was sent to Geneva under the cover of a diplomat. In 2009, he left the CIA and joined the NSA through a Dell contractor. In 2012, he was transferred to Hawaii, where he worked for another NSA contractor, Booz Allen Hamilton.

At this time, Snowden began to realize that American intelligence agencies were conducting illegal and uncontrolled surveillance of millions of people around the world, using various programs such as PRISM, X-Keyscore and Tempora. He decided that this violates the human rights to privacy and freedom of speech, and that the public should know the truth. He downloaded about 1.7 million classified documents from NSA servers and hid them on flash drives.

In May 2013, he flew from Hawaii to Hong Kong, where he met with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, as well as The Guardian's editor Alan Rusbridger. He provided them with copies of documents and gave an interview in which he explained his motives and asked for protection from prosecution by the United States. He also appealed to the people of Hong Kong to support him.

On June 6, 2013, The Guardian and The Washington Post published the first articles based on Snowden's revelations. They revealed the existence of the program, which allowed the NSA to gain access to the data of users of major Internet companies such as Google, Facebook*, Microsoft, Apple and others. They also reported that the NSA collects metadata about the phone calls of millions of Americans. In the days and weeks that followed, new publications emerged revealing other aspects of global surveillance, including:

• The X-Keyscore program, which allowed the NSA to view the contents of emails, chats, search queries, and other types of online activity around the world.
• The Tempora program, which allowed the British intelligence agency GCHQ to intercept and store huge amounts of Internet traffic passing through optical cables.
• The Boundless Informant program, which showed how much data the NSA collects in different countries and regions.
• The Bullrun program, which allowed the NSA and GCHQ to break into encrypted communications and undermine cryptography standards.
• The Muscular program, which allowed the NSA and GCHQ to hack into Google and Yahoo's data centers and copy their data.
• The Quantum program, which allowed the NSA and GCHQ to inject spyware into the computers and smartphones of targeted individuals and organizations.
• The Fairview program, which allowed the NSA to work with American telecommunications companies to intercept foreign communications.
• The Five Eyes program, which allowed the NSA and GCHQ to share intelligence information with similar services in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

These and other revelations caused shock and outrage around the world. Many human rights organizations, journalists, politicians, activists and ordinary citizens expressed their support for Snowden and condemned the actions of the United States and its allies. However, Snowden has also faced harsh criticism and accusations of spying, betraying and helping the enemies of the United States. His actions were condemned by many senior US officials, including President Barack Obama, who said Snowden was "not a patriot."

Snowden wasn't the first​

Edward Snowden became the most famous and influential informant in the history of the United States and the world. His revelations shocked the public and politics, sparked heated debates, and led to changes in the law and practice of surveillance by intelligence agencies. However, Snowden was not the first to reveal the secrets of the NSA and other intelligence agencies. Before him, there were other employees who decided to take such a step, guided by their conscience and principles. Who are they and what did they do?

• William Binney is a former senior National Security Agency officer who resigned from the agency in 2001 in protest of illegal surveillance. He was one of the first informants to reveal the existence of the Stellar Wind program, the predecessor of PRISM. He also supported Snowden and defended his actions. He was searched, interrogated, and threatened by the FBI and NSA. He was also charged with violating the Espionage Act, but the charges were withdrawn in 2010.
• Thomas Drake is a former senior NSA official who also left the agency in 2001 and exposed information about the NSA's illegal surveillance and wastefulness. He also supported Snowden and defended his actions. He was charged with violating the Espionage Act and stealing state property. He faced up to 35 years in prison. However, in 2011, all serious charges were dropped, and he admitted only to violating the rules of working with a computer.
• Russell Tice is a former analyst with the US Air Force, the Office of Naval Intelligence, the US DIA and the NSA, who also disclosed information about illegal NSA surveillance even before Snowden. He claimed that the NSA tapped the phones of high-ranking US officials, including senators, judges and even President Obama. He also supported Snowden and defended his actions. He was fired from the NSA in 2005 for alleged mental health problems. His home and office were raided by the FBI, and his career and reputation were destroyed.

These are just some of the employees of the NSA and other intelligence agencies who worked with Snowden or were associated with his revelations. There are others who have also risked their safety and careers to uncover the truth about intelligence surveillance. They set an example of civic courage, responsibility and patriotism. They also contributed to the protection of human rights, free speech, and democracy in the United States and around the world.

What are the consequences?​

Snowden's revelations had serious implications for himself, as well as for international relations, politics, law, technology, and culture.

For Snowden, the consequences were extremely unfavorable. On June 14, 2013, he was charged in the United States with violating the Espionage Act and stealing government property. His passport was revoked and he was put on an international wanted list.

Journalists who published Snowden's revelations also faced different consequences. Some of them are:

• Glenn Greenwald is an American journalist who worked for The Guardian newspaper and was the first to publish Snowden's materials. He left the US and moved to Brazil. He founded his own Internet project, The Intercept, dedicated to investigative journalism. He also wrote the book "No place to hide", in which he spoke about his work with Snowden and about the secret programs of the NSA. He has received numerous awards and prizes for his journalistic work. However, he was also threatened, blackmailed, pressured, and harassed by U.S. and other authorities. In 2020, he was charged with violating Brazil's cybercrime law for his investigation into corruption and abuse in the Brazilian government. In 2021, he left The Intercept after a conflict with the editorial board over the censorship of his article about the US election.
• Laura Poitras is an American documentary filmmaker who also worked with Snowden and Greenwald. She directed the film Citizen Four, dedicated to Snowden and his revelations. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2015. She was also a founding member of The Intercept. She was also subjected to surveillance, interrogations, searches, and confiscation of her equipment by U.S. and other authorities. In 2016, she filed a lawsuit against the US government for violating her rights to freedom of speech and the press.
• Bart Gellman is an American journalist who worked for The Washington Post and also published Snowden's materials. He wrote a book, Dark Mirror, in which he talked about his work with Snowden and the secret programs of the NSA. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Journalism in 2014. He was also subjected to surveillance and pressure from the US authorities. In 2013, he was forced to hand over his laptop with Snowden's materials to a colleague at The New York Times to avoid confiscation by the FBI.

These are just a few of the journalists who have published Snowden's revelations. There are others who have also risked their safety and careers to bring the truth to the public. They set an example of journalistic courage, responsibility and professionalism. They also contributed to the protection of human rights, freedom of speech and democracy in the world.

What were the implications for science and technology?​

Science and technology have also been influenced by Snowden's revelations. On the one hand, they were used or developed for surveillance or counteraction to it. On the other hand, they have become the subject of debate and regulation regarding their ethics, security, and privacy. Some examples:

• Encryption is the process of converting information into obscure code to protect it from unauthorized access. Encryption is widely used on the Internet to protect personal data, banking transactions, email, and other communications. The Snowden disclosures revealed that the NSA and other intelligence agencies attempted to undermine or circumvent encryption by using various methods, such as hacking, bribery, blackmail, or sabotaging encryption standards and products. This caused concern and criticism from the scientific community, technology companies and human rights organizations. They called for the strengthening and dissemination of encryption as a means of protecting human rights and democracy in the digital world.
• Face recognition is a technology that allows you to identify or verify a person by their face. Facial recognition can be used for various purposes, such as unlocking your smartphone, paying for purchases, and finding criminals or missing people. However, facial recognition can also be used to spy on people without their consent or knowledge. The Snowden revelations revealed that the NSA and other intelligence agencies collected and analyzed millions of facial images from the Internet, social media, video surveillance, and other sources. This caused concern and criticism from the scientific community, technology companies and human rights organizations. They called for the restriction or prohibition of facial recognition as a means of violating human rights and democracy in the digital world.
• Artificial intelligence is a technology that allows machines to mimic or surpass human intelligence in certain tasks. Artificial intelligence can be used for various purposes, such as translation, diagnostics, learning, games, or creativity. However, artificial intelligence can also be used to spy on people or against them. The Snowden revelations revealed that the NSA and other intelligence agencies used or developed artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of data collected from various sources. This caused concern and criticism from the scientific community, technology companies and human rights organizations. They called for regulating or controlling artificial intelligence as a means of threatening human rights and democracy in the digital world.

These are just a few examples of science and technology that have been influenced by the Snowden revelations. There are others that have also been the subject of debate and regulation regarding their ethics, security, and privacy. The Snowden revelations have shown that science and technology can be both good and evil, depending on who uses them and how.

How did his actions affect the world?​

The Snowden revelations have triggered a number of political, legal, technological and cultural changes in the world. Among them, the following can be distinguished:

• Political changes. Snowden's revelations have sparked diplomatic scandals between the US and its allies and adversaries. Relations with Germany, Brazil, and Mexico, whose leaders were eavesdropped on by the NSA, were particularly acrimonious. This has undermined confidence in the United States and its leadership in the world. Snowden's revelations also contributed to the growth of anti-American sentiment in various countries and regions, including Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. On the other hand, the Snowden revelations also stimulated dialogue and cooperation between different countries on cybersecurity, human rights protection, and Internet regulation.
• Legal changes. Snowden's revelations have led to the emergence or strengthening of various legal initiatives to limit or control surveillance by intelligence agencies in different countries and internationally. For example, the USA Freedom of Information Act was passed in the United States, which prohibited the collection of metadata about Americans ' phone calls without a court warrant. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was adopted, which strengthened the rights of citizens to control their personal data and obliged Internet companies to comply with strict privacy standards. The UN adopted a resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age, which called for the protection of this right from violations by states and corporations. Various lawsuits and complaints were also filed against surveillance services in different countries, some of which were granted by the courts.
• Technological changes. The Snowden revelations have increased the awareness and demands of Internet users regarding the security and confidentiality of their data and communications. This has contributed to the spread and development of various technologies for encryption, anonymization, obfuscation, and data decentralization. For example, such services as Signal, Telegram, Tor, ProtonMail, DuckDuckGo and others have become popular. Also, Internet companies such as Google, Facebook*, Microsoft, Apple and others have become more active in using default encryption and implementing mechanisms to protect against hacking and data interception. However, these technologies also have their drawbacks and risks, such as complexity of use, vulnerability to errors and attacks, and the possibility of abuse by criminals and terrorists.
• Cultural changes. Snowden's revelations have affected public consciousness and culture in various countries and spheres of life. They have contributed to the growth of interest and discussion on topics related to human rights, freedom of speech, democracy, civil society, journalism, whistleblowing, cybersecurity, the Internet and technology. They have also inspired various works of fiction and documentaries, such as the films "Snowden" and "Citizen Four", the books" No Place to Hide "and" Constant Surveillance", the songs" Party of Privacy "and" Edward Snowden", as well as the games" Watch Dogs "and"Orwell". However, these works also have their own specifics and do not always accurately reflect reality.

What's happening now?​

Now Edward Snowden continues to live in Russia, where he received an indefinite residence permit in 2020 and Russian citizenship in 2022. He is married to his longtime girlfriend Lindsay Mills, with whom he reunited in 2014. They have a son. Snowden works as a cybersecurity and data protection consultant for various organizations. He is also actively involved in public speaking, interviews, conferences, and educational projects via video link. He is a board member of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports journalists and whistleblowers. In 2019, he published his autobiographical book, Constant Surveillance, which became a bestseller.

Snowden is still being harassed by the United States, which is demanding his extradition and prosecution. He is accused of violating the Espionage Act and stealing state property. He faces up to 30 years in prison. His passport was revoked and his property was seized. His book is banned for sale in the United States. His supporters are campaigning for his pardon or amnesty by the US President. However, so far none of the US presidents has agreed to this. Barack Obama said that Snowden should return to the United States and be tried in accordance with the law. Donald Trump called Snowden a traitor and offered to execute him, although in 2020 he said that he would consider pardoning him. Joe Biden also spoke critically about Snowden and gave no hints of his pardon.

Snowden himself has stated that he is ready to return to the United States if he is guaranteed a fair trial and the opportunity to defend his actions as actions in the public interest. However, he also stated that he did not regret his revelations and considered them correct and necessary. He also expressed gratitude to Russia for granting him asylum and protection from persecution by the United States.

Conclusion​

Edward Snowden remains one of the most striking iconic symbols of our time, causing many contradictory feelings. His revelations struck a blow to the global community, exposing the depth and breadth of digital hacking carried out by state intelligence agencies. Reactions to his actions have been as diverse as people around the world-from deep admiration and recognition of him as a hero to harsh condemnation and accusations of betrayal.

Snowden's fate remains in limbo, hanging by a thread that can be cut at any time, depending on the political climate and public opinion. Nevertheless, his legacy lives on, sparking conversations and discussions that remain relevant to this day.

Its history remains an important milestone in the fight for privacy and freedom in the digital age. It is a monument to a man who dared to challenge the system and reveal a secret that the world had a right to know. Regardless of whether we view him as a hero or a traitor, one thing is certain: the story of Edward Snowden requires further study and discussion. His story is a mirror in which we must look at ourselves and ask the important question: which do we value more - security or freedom?