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5 Years on, US Government Still Counting Snowden Leak Costs (apnews.com)
National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden blew the lid off U.S. government surveillance methods five years ago, but intelligence chiefs complain that revelations from the trove of classified documents he disclosed are still trickling out. From a report: That includes recent reporting on a mass surveillance program run by close U.S. ally Japan and on how the NSA targeted bitcoin users to gather intelligence to combat narcotics and money laundering. The Intercept, an investigative publication with access to Snowden documents, published stories on both subjects. The top U.S. counterintelligence official said journalists have released only about 1 percent taken by the 34-year-old American, now living in exile in Russia, "so we don't see this issue ending anytime soon." "This past year, we had more international, Snowden-related documents and breaches than ever," Bill Evanina, who directs the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said at a recent conference. "Since 2013, when Snowden left, there have been thousands of articles around the world with really sensitive stuff that's been leaked."
I'm happy to hear they're still facing consequences, even if those consequences aren't nearly severe enough to make me content.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to, you know, not rely on extraordinary rendition, illegal spying, extra-constitutional structurally biased special courts, intra-agency webs of secrecy, and all that?
This seems more than a bit like "If it weren't for those darn meddling kids, everything would have been fine, JUST FINE," then complaining how expensive that now-ruined mask on the floor was.
Ryan Fenton
Uncovering the truth and doing "The Right Thing".
The fact that the U.S. government continue to persecute this whistle-blower is much more damning than the things he revealed.
IMO Snowden should be pardoned & given a medal.
I imagine Trump will take a hint from his good friend Putin and Snowden will mysteriously succumb to Polonium or Novichok.
Doubtful. Trump may be Putin's bitch but it doesn't work the other way round. The longer Snowden stays in Russia, the better the message for anyone who might in future think about trusting Russia. Hell, Putin has gone to war in Syria, admittedly partly for a military port, but mostly because he wants to show that if you stick with Russia then Russia sticks with you. Compare with Ukraine, Georgia, or Germany who have stuck with America. Compare with Japan's treatment over North Korea. Compare with the various muslims who cosied up to the states during the Iraq war and can't now get visas. Compare with the shit we Brits are going to get over post Brexit trade.
Thinking of a recently started Trade war, which countries and people can you think of that might get the message that Russia keeps its promises? Which countries and people do you think people like Assad and Snowden speak to?
Instead, he's landed a cushy job at CNN.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
I just knew you were going to cite the Drake case.
Thomas Drake reported that he thought there were illegal activities going in. The lawyers reviewed his accusations, and determined that he was wrong - the programs in questions were legal.
Drake didn't accept that a bunch of lawyers and judges could know more about the law than he did, and so he stole a bunch of classified documents. And you know what? It turns out that all those lawyers were correct in the first place. His concerns were about legal programs that he just didn't like.
Drake was not a whistleblower. He was wrong about his facts, and he paid for committing crimes based on his ignorance.
They are more concerned about the steps being taken to stop their mass surveillance. Ever since the leaks the internet has become a lot more privacy and security focused, with encryption being used more and more to cover what were once considered mundane communications.
Prior to Snowden was it relatively easy and cheap for them, now the cost is massively increased. Instead of unencrypted chat apps we now have all the major ones supporting strong encryption, often enabled by default and implemented so that the developer can't circumvent it.
Getting caught it just an inevitable part of playing the spy game. It's the resulting privacy enhancements that really upset them.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC