NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: 'I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things'

Summary

Edward Snowden, a former infrastructure analyst for the NSA, details his transformation from systems engineer to whistleblower. He reveals the expansive surveillance capabilities of the NSA, which indiscriminately collect and analyze global communications, potentially violating privacy rights. Snowden chose to expose these practices to empower the public to decide on the legitimacy of such surveillance. He discusses his decision to come forward publicly and the risks involved, emphasizing his commitment to transparency and democratic values over personal safety.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ed Snowden, at the time of the interview, was 29 years old and working for Booze Allen Hamilton as an infrastructure analyst for the NSA in Hawaii.
• 🔧 Snowden held various positions within the intelligence community, including systems engineer, systems administrator, senior advisor, solutions consultant, and telecommunications information systems officer.
• 🔍 Snowden's decision to become a whistleblower was influenced by his exposure to a broader scale of information and the realization of systemic abuses within the intelligence community.
• 📡 The NSA's surveillance activities are not limited to foreign intelligence but have expanded to domestic surveillance, collecting and analyzing communications of everyone by default.
• 👤 Snowden emphasized that any analyst with the right authority could target anyone, including high-profile individuals, for surveillance.
• 🌐 Snowden chose to identify himself publicly to provide transparency and context to his actions, believing that the public deserves an explanation for decisions made outside of democratic processes.
• 🏢 Snowden acknowledged the risks associated with his actions, including potential retaliation from powerful intelligence agencies.
• 🏙️ Snowden chose Hong Kong as a location to reveal his identity and the information he possessed, citing its tradition of free speech and relative independence from mainland China's censorship.
• 💡 Snowden did not intend to harm the United States or aid its enemies; his goal was to inform the public about the extent of surveillance and allow them to decide on its legitimacy.
• 🚨 Snowden expressed concern that without public action, surveillance policies could become more entrenched, leading to a 'turnkey tyranny' where the government has unchecked surveillance powers.

Q & A

What was Edward Snowden's role at Booz Allen Hamilton?

Edward Snowden worked as an infrastructure analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA) in Hawaii while employed by Booz Allen Hamilton.

What positions did Snowden hold within the intelligence community prior to his whistleblowing?

Snowden had held various positions including systems engineer, systems administrator, senior advisor, solutions consultant, and telecommunications information systems officer for the Central Intelligence Agency.

How did Snowden's exposure to information lead him to become a whistleblower?

Snowden's role as a systems administrator granted him access to a broad range of information, revealing abuses that he felt compelled to address. His concerns were often ignored, leading him to the realization that the public should be informed and decide on these matters.

What is the primary focus of the NSA and intelligence community according to Snowden?

The NSA and intelligence community aim to gather intelligence by any means necessary, originally focused on foreign intelligence but increasingly targeting domestic communications.

How does the NSA collect and process communications, according to Snowden?

The NSA collects communications by default, ingesting them into their system, filtering, analyzing, measuring, and storing them for extended periods, enabling any analyst to target anyone, including US citizens.

Why did Snowden choose to reveal his identity instead of remaining anonymous?

Snowden believed the public deserved an explanation of the motivations behind disclosures that subvert government power. He wanted to defend the authenticity of the information and show that he was not against the country but against the surveillance policies.

What were the potential risks Snowden considered in revealing his identity?

Snowden was aware of the possibility of being rendered by the CIA, pursued by third-party partners, or targeted by other nations' intelligence agencies due to his whistleblowing.

Why did Snowden choose Hong Kong as his location to disclose the information?

Snowden chose Hong Kong due to its tradition of free speech and relative independence from mainland China's restrictions. He did not intend to defect to China or aid an enemy of the United States.

What could Snowden have done with the documents if his intent was to harm the US or gain materially?

Snowden could have sold secrets on the open market to countries like Russia or revealed sensitive information about undercover assets and intelligence operations worldwide, but his goal was not to harm the US or gain materially.

What is Snowden's greatest fear regarding the outcome of his disclosures?

Snowden's greatest fear is that nothing will change, and people will not be willing to take risks to stand up and force their representatives to act against the surveillance policies.

How does Snowden view the future of surveillance if policies are not changed?

Snowden believes that without policy changes, surveillance capabilities will continue to expand, leading to a 'turnkey tyranny' where a new leader could unilaterally increase control over society without public opposition.