Edward Snowden, born on this day in 1983, is an American whistleblower who leaked highly classified information from the NSA in 2013 when he was working as a CIA employee, exposing multiple governments' widespread surveillance programs.

Snowden's disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments, prompting a cultural discussion about national security and individual privacy.

In 2013, the United States Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property, revoking his passport. Two days later, he flew into a Moscow Airport, where Russian authorities noted that his U.S. passport had been canceled, and he could not leave the airport terminal for over one month.

Russia later granted Snowden the right of asylum with an initial visa for residence for one year, and he continues to reside there on extension today.

"Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give to an American."

  • Edward Snowden

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  • FactuallyUnscrupulou [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    I've been helping a local org trying to turn out power company into a public owned entity. Last night the city approved half a million dollars for an implementation study.

    • anotherone [none/use name]
      ·
      1 year ago

      That's fucking awesome and you are all very cool people

      It's been a while since my last project but this is the type of thing you'll be bragging about for a decade. Trust me. And you have absolutely every right to. Real leftism is not about what you post or what your tendency is, it's about whatever little impact you can make on the world and point back and say "yeah, I did that."