Snowden

Edward Snowden is an American whistleblower and former contractor who disclosed extensive information about global surveillance programs in 2013. Born in 1983, he worked as a technical contractor for the CIA and later Booz Allen Hamilton, a firm that supported the National Security Agency (NSA). Snowden became known for revealing the scope of intelligence gathering conducted by the United States and its allies.

In 2013, Snowden provided journalists with documents detailing programs such as PRISM, XKeyscore, and Tempora, showing how the NSA and Five Eyes partners conducted mass surveillance on phone records, internet traffic, and other communications. The disclosures included information about metadata collection from telecommunications providers and data harvesting from major tech companies. The revelations sparked a global debate over privacy, security, and the balance between civil liberties and national security.

Following the leaks, Snowden fled the United States and initially traveled to Hong Kong before eventually seeking asylum in Russia, where he has resided since 2013. He was charged by the U.S. government with theft of government property and unauthorized disclosure of national defense information, among other offenses, under the Espionage Act. He has published a memoir, Permanent Record (2019), and has been the subject of documentaries and feature films.

Snowden remains a polarizing figure. Supporters view him as a defender of privacy and civil liberties who exposed government overreach; critics describe him as a traitor who compromised national security. His disclosures prompted renewed discussion about government surveillance, data protection, and reform of intelligence practices, influencing policy debates in several countries.