‘No regrets,’ says Edward Snowden, after 10 years in exile
GuardianJUL 2023
Snowden is a hero who sacrificed everything to expose illegal, warrantless surveillance that targeted citizens around the globe. Ten years on, he’s still fighting for what's right, and we ought to heed his warning about the potential for even more intrusive surveillance from new technologies, lest his sacrifices be in vain.
The media valorization of Snowden as a brave crusader for truth hides a much more complicated picture. Snowden's leaks were reckless, and they severely damaged the intelligence capabilities of Western nations in their fight against terrorism. By refusing to use proper whistleblower channels, Snowden made himself little more than a common criminal. It's time he stops drumming up fear.