Ed Snowdon

Edward Snowden is a former American computer specialist who worked with U.S. government intelligence agencies. He was born in 1983 and is one of the most debated figures in the story of the modern internet. (His surname is spelled Snowden, with an “e”.)

Growing up
Edward grew up in North Carolina and Maryland and was very interested in computers. He later worked as a computer systems expert, first for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and then as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA). A contractor is someone who works for a private company that does jobs for the government.

What he revealed
In 2013, Edward shared secret government documents with journalists. They showed that the U.S. government, along with some other countries, was collecting huge amounts of information about people’s phone calls and internet activity. This included information about ordinary people who were not suspected of any crime.

Why people argue about it
People have very different opinions about what Edward did.

• Supporters say he was a whistleblower, someone who exposes secrets because he believes the public has a right to know. They point out that his revelations started a big conversation about privacy, and that a U.S. court later ruled that one of the programs he revealed was illegal.

• Critics say he broke his promise to keep secrets, and that sharing classified information could put national security and people’s safety at risk. They argue he should have raised his concerns in other ways, and that he should face trial.

Where he is now
The U.S. government charged him with crimes under a law called the Espionage Act. Before he could be arrested, he left the country and ended up in Russia. He was given permission to stay there in 2013, and he has remained in Russia ever since, with his status upgraded over the years. He became a Russian citizen in 2022. Because the charges are still in place, he would likely face arrest if he returned to the United States. proctorizer

Why it still matters
Edward’s actions led to new laws and debates in several countries about how much governments should be allowed to watch their citizens, and how to balance safety with privacy. Many technology companies also began protecting people’s data more strongly, for example by using encryption, which scrambles messages so only the sender and receiver can read them.