With that simple message, sent in december 2012 from former nsa contractor edward snowden to guardian reporter glenn greenwald, the biggest leak of government secrets in history was set in motion. Edward joseph snowden (born june 21, 1983) is a former national security agency (nsa) intelligence contractor and whistleblower [2] who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs Born in 1983 in elizabeth city, north carolina, he attended a community college and later enrolled at a masters programme of the university of liverpool without finishing it. In 2013, computer expert and former cia systems administrator, edward snowden released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs According to many legal experts, and the u.s Government, his actions violated the espionage act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason
Yet despite the fact that he broke. Edward snowden was interviewed at the the new yorker festival 2014 on october 11, 2014 in new york city Obama's call to change the way intelligence agencies collect information follow the leaks. Intelligence chiefs say revelations from the trove of classified documents disclosed by national security agency contractor edward snowden are still trickling out five years later. In 2013, edward snowden, a former intelligence officer and computer professional, became a central figure in one of the most significant whistleblowing events in modern history Snowden's decision to leak classified information from the national security agency (nsa) and other intelligence agencies exposed extensive government surveillance and data collection programs
Snowden certainly did the latter, though not as the nsa intended it, sharing with the press top secret documents about the degree to which telecoms and internet companies pass along customers.
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