Who is Edward Snowden? Edward Snowden lives a free life - like a robot

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Snowden spoke about the corruption of the Russian government, which granted him asylum

Former US intelligence officer Edward Snowden Friso Gentsch/dpa/Global Look Press

Former US National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden said that the Russian government, which provided him asylum, is corrupt. He said this in an interview with the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

“As the Russian people know, the Russian government is corrupt in many ways,” Snowden said. “I think Russians feel powerless.” This is how he answered a question about civic engagement in a country “that is widely known for violating human rights.” “Russians are not naive, they know that state television cannot be trusted. Russians are warm-hearted and smart. The problem is with the government, not with the people,” added the former US intelligence officer.

According to Snowden, he has never met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but “definitely does not agree” with the principles of the work of the head of the Russian Federation.

When asked whether Snowden believed it was dangerous for him to criticize local authorities, he replied that there was undoubtedly a risk: “Maybe the government doesn’t care what I say. I do not speak Russian. And I’m a former CIA agent, so it’s very easy for them to discredit my political views as an American CIA agent in Russia.”

The former American special agent said that Russian intelligence services offered to cooperate with him as soon as he arrived in Russia, but he categorically refused. “I don’t want ties to them [the Russian government], I don’t want to be involved, I never planned to be here,” Snowden explained.

At the same time, he told how he now lives in Russia: “I take the metro, live in an apartment with my girlfriend and pay rent like everyone else.” At the same time, according to him, he does not use bank cards and tries not to advertise his name.

The journalists clarified that the interview took place in a hotel near the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Snowden: new head of CIA participated in torture

In June 2013, Edward Snowden handed over to the Washington Post and Guardian newspapers a number of classified materials about the surveillance programs of the US and British intelligence services on the Internet. He flew to Hong Kong, and from there to Moscow, where he spent some time in the transit zone of the Moscow airport. Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum for a year on the condition that he cease his activities against the United States. On August 1, 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit.

Knock on Facebook. © Diliago/website

On Sunday, July 14, Swedish university professor Stefan Swallfors proposed nominating Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. Svalllfors believes that the ex-CERA officer managed to “make the world a little better and safer.” The Reedus correspondent tried to understand Snowden's revelations in order to understand what new thing this character told the world.

1. Prism. In early June, Edward Snowden told reporters from The Guardian and Washington Post about the existence of a special program that monitors the actions of millions of users on the Internet. Nine major IT companies were found to be collaborating with intelligence agencies: Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube and Apple. In accordance with Snowden's revelations, these computer industry giants provide the NSA with direct access to their servers to obtain audio and video files, photographs, email correspondence, documents, data on user visits to certain sites, etc. and so on. In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden noted that "the NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. If I wanted to know your email address or your wife's phone number, I would only have to use the intercept data. I can get your email , passwords, data on telephone conversations, credit cards." The whales of the IT industry hastened to disown cooperation with the NSA. However, later they had to admit that from time to time, in accordance with American laws, they transfer the necessary data to the NSA. The whole world, including the United States, was in Prism's sights. It is this fact that has offended American human rights activists. Most of them see nothing wrong with spying on other countries, but spying on their own citizens, from their point of view, is not good.

This scandal played the role of a kind of trigger; it was after the exposure of “Prism” that “Snowdenmania” began. However, apart from the name and essence of the project, Snowden did not reveal anything new. This has been recognized by computer security experts from many countries. The user agreement itself, for example, when creating a page in the “face book,” states that the company has the right to transfer information to third parties. Of course, at most every tenth user reads these agreements. The creators of “South Park” even dedicated one of the episodes of their series to this: about the agreement with Apple and the human centipede. In the cartoon, Kyle came under attack. In reality - all people who do not take their safety seriously. If you use the services of searching for people “in contact” or “oddnoklassniki”, you can find a lot of photographs of military personnel with military unit numbers, location, etc. and so on. Options like “foresquare” generally allow you to track a person’s movements. More “check-ins” - more precise trajectory.

With the help of social networks, not long ago, kidnappers kidnapped Kasperksy’s son. The appearance of a program that tracks the necessary information voluntarily provided by users is a completely logical step. From this point of view, Dmitry Medvedev’s statement that Russian officials should more actively use social networks to create a positive image of Russia looks funny. “Such programs themselves have a right to exist,” Americanist Ivan Denisov shared his point of view. “Under Obama, however, their use has increased, but all these “Prisms” do not contradict the American Constitution. If something went beyond the scope, So these are questions for the administration, not computer scientists."

On Friday, June 12, Foreign Policy magazine took over the baton. Foreign Policy journalists now have their own “mole” in the NSA. This "truth teller" expanded on the information provided by Edward. It turns out that the NSA has a top-secret cyber intelligence unit, the Tailored Access Operations Office. TAO collects intelligence around the world by hacking into computers and telecommunications systems. This information is much more interesting than Snowden's, as it describes illegal methods of data extraction.

2. Verizon and Latin America. And again Snowden chose the British “The Guardian” as his “mouthpiece”. The British informed the world that the American telecommunications company Verizon daily transmitted data about its clients' calls to the CIA. From the documents released by Snowden, it follows that almost 100% of the negotiations conducted by Latin American countries are monitored in Langley. The information is certainly interesting. But it testifies not to the diabolical cunning of American spies, but to the incompetence and carelessness of the intelligence services of the countries indicated by Snowden. It would be funny if the telephone lines in the Kremlin were serviced not by the Russian telephone network, but, for example, by AT&T. In the end, it’s not for nothing that the Federal Drug Control Service, the FSB and other Russian “special” organizations have their own mobile operators and paging companies. However, this “information dump” had a very real effect. Michael Morell, deputy director of the CIA, was forced to resign after these revelations. It was he who was responsible for analytics in the Asian and Latin American regions. The Verizon scandal forced NSA head Keith Alexander to give an official interview. “This data helped prevent dozens of terrorist events,” he said, justifying himself. These words caused a backlash among American human rights activists. The meaning of their statements boils down to one thing: if you keep an eye on everyone like that, why didn’t you, damned ones, manage to prevent the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon?

3. China. In late spring and early summer, American authorities came down hard on China because of hacker attacks allegedly organized by Chinese intelligence services. There were even official accusations. Against this background, Snowden’s latest revelation played into the hands of the Chinese authorities in the best possible way. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the 29-year-old analyst spoke about the program of hacker attacks against the Middle Kingdom. Edward said that the US government had been hacking the networks and computers of Chinese universities and politicians for four years. According to Snowden, these attacks were carried out exclusively on private computers and machines of civilian organizations. “I am disclosing this information to show the hypocrisy of the American government, which claims that, unlike its opponents, it never attacks civilian structures,” the former CIA official told the Chinese newspaper. He also allegedly gave the newspaper a list of IP addresses in Hong Kong and mainland China that had been targeted by the NSA. It was after this news event that opinions arose that Snowden could be working for China; he handed over information about hacker attacks to Beijing just in time, and Hong Kong, as the first shelter, suggested these thoughts to some conspiracy theorists.

4. SummitG20 in London and wiretapping of European officials. This scandal was the most powerful in the series of Snowden revelations. According to his statements, the NSA and the CIA listened to all communications of the leaders of European countries. The publication of these data caused a wave of outrage in Europe. Some analysts have even begun to talk about a serious cooling in friendly relations between the United States and its European NATO partners. It is interesting that the scandal was caused not by the fact of eavesdropping, but by the fact that the Americans listened not only to their “sworn friends”, but also to their allies. Thanks to the indignation of members of the North Atlantic Alliance, the NSA was forced to admit the fact of wiretapping.

However, if you put aside emotions and start thinking soberly, it turns out that Snowden again did not say anything new. The Americans, like other strong states, have always tried to eavesdrop not only on their enemies, but also on their partners. The work of the special services is so unpleasant: to sniff out, find out, analyze, inform. This information only indicates the professional training of some intelligence officers and the failure of others. A chatterbox is a godsend for a spy. There have been better successes in our country. Just remember John Stonehouse. The British minister (first of aviation, and then of technology, post and communications), and part-time Soviet resident, is aerobatics. Against this background, Snowden's statement about wiretapping looks like a pathetic bleat.

5. NSA staffing table. To date, experts consider these documents the most important of the Snezhkov revelations, since they fully reveal the activities of the US intelligence service. While Edward Snowden only announced the information he had in his possession, there have not yet been any publications of documents for internal use. According to The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, these materials can help people avoid wiretapping by American intelligence agencies, and, even moreover, allow them to begin electronic surveillance themselves. At the moment, this is the most bombastic of Snowden's revelations. Time will tell whether this information will be made public.

CHISINAU, August 1 – Sputnik. Three years ago, Edward Snowden, a former US intelligence officer who gave classified materials to the Washington Post and Guardian newspapers exposing the global surveillance of the US and British intelligence services on the Internet, received temporary asylum in Russia. A year later, on August 1, 2014, he received a three-year residence permit in the Russian Federation.

Snowden fled from the United States to Hong Kong and on June 23, 2013, arrived in Moscow, where he spent some time in the Sheremetyevo transit zone, from where he applied for temporary asylum in 21 countries.

US authorities have charged Snowden with three counts, each of which faces him with up to 10 years in prison. He is accused of illegally transmitting information relevant to national security, knowingly transmitting intelligence information and theft of government property.

Snowden himself has stated his repeated attempts to raise concerns about NSA surveillance of US citizens within the agency, but the NSA has taken no action.

The Danish newspaper Denfri reported, citing edited documents from the country's Ministry of Justice, that the United States sent a government plane to a certain European country, which had previously been used to extradite suspects more than once. The Danish authorities did not confirm this information, and Justice Minister Søren Pind said that he knew nothing about it. He later admitted that at Copenhagen airport in June 2013 there was a plane on which it was supposed to extradite Snowden to the United States.

Russia has granted a former US intelligence officer temporary asylum for a period of one year, but on the condition that he ceases his activities against the United States. A year later, he received a three-year residence permit, which allows him to travel not only throughout Russia, but also beyond its borders.

SNOWDEN IDENTIFICATION

The head of German counterintelligence, Hans-Georg Maasen, suggested that Edward Snowden is an agent of the Russian intelligence services. Snowden himself has previously stated more than once that he does not work for the FSB of the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin also noted that “our special services have never worked with Mr. Snowden and do not work.”

However, Maasen made it clear that he has reason to consider Snowden’s activities “part of the hybrid war waged by Russia against the West,” the website of the German Bundestag reported this with reference to the speech of the head of counterintelligence. According to him, the foreign intelligence service (SVR) could recruit and direct an NSA agent, and the fact that in international public opinion the American remains an idealistic lone wolf is “the pinnacle of Russian success” in disinformation work.

According to Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, his client initially told the FSB that he would not cooperate with any intelligence agency in the world.

“I can say that Edward never deviated from his principle - not to cooperate with any governments or any structures of any countries, including, inter alia, the Russian Federation,” the lawyer said.

A WikiLeaks spokeswoman also denied reports that the Russian FSB tried to recruit a former NSA employee.

LIFE IN MOSCOW WITHOUT IPHONE

Now ex-US intelligence officer Edward Snowden lives in an ordinary rented apartment and moves around Moscow by metro, goes to stores like all other residents of the city, buys groceries and everything he needs, but his exact place of residence is not disclosed due to security reasons. His lawyer reported this to the media. According to Kucherena, Snowden works in his specialty - IT technology, as a consultant in one of the companies.

“Everything is fine with me, I live a normal life, I even ride the Moscow metro. The only difference from my previous life is that I don’t use an iPhone,” Snowden said in an interview.

In addition, Snowden traveled to regions of Russia, and this trip made a good impression on him. “He traveled around the country. He was in St. Petersburg (not for the first time), in a number of other regions. His impressions are good. He is not indifferent to what is happening in our country,” Kucherena told reporters.

He also reported on Snowden's progress in learning the Russian language. “We can already calmly talk to him about some proposals, which is good,” the lawyer noted.

Snowden’s girlfriend remains in the United States and periodically visits him in Russia on a visa. Kucherena also reported that the possibility of her moving to the Russian Federation was being considered. According to him, she comes quite often, so the lawyer is ready to help her if she decides to apply for a residence permit in the Russian Federation. The lawyer also did not rule out that Snowden’s parents, with whom he keeps in touch, will be able to come again. Two years ago his father already visited him.

The former NSA employee himself does not intend to leave Russia, although he has repeatedly stated that he would still like to return. According to Snowden, who spoke via Skype at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, he will agree to extradition to the United States if authorities provide him with a fair trial.

“I told the government that I would return if I was guaranteed a fair trial, where I could defend the interests of the public ... and the jury could make a decision,” the TV channel quoted Snowden as saying.

His lawyer noted that while Snowden is being persecuted politically and insults are pouring in from American politicians, there is no hope for a fair trial in the United States.

“For us and for him, this experience was not easy: a similar incident first occurred when a former US intelligence officer ended up in Russia. He feels more or less normal here, although the more I get to know him, the more I see that he is a true patriot The United States, which cares about everything that happens in America,” Kucherena said.

PERSECUTION AND EXTRADITION REQUIREMENTS

The European Parliament has already called on EU states to “refuse any prosecution of Snowden, provide him with protection and, accordingly, prevent his extradition or return by a third party - in recognition of his status as a whistleblower and international defender of human rights.”

US CIA Director John Brennan said on July 14, 2016 that Snowden should return to the US and face trial. Brennan also said he disagreed with former US Attorney General Eric Holder, who assessed Snowden's activities as a "service to the public." The head of the CIA does not believe that thanks to Snowden, an active discussion of socially significant issues has begun in the country.

According to the deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, Dmitry Gorovtsov (A Just Russia), the United States so often changes its position regarding Snowden’s activities that he may soon become a national hero, perhaps after the election of a new American president.

FILM HERO AND AWARD WINNER

The fate of the former intelligence officer turned out to be so interesting to the whole world that over the past few years he has been awarded a number of awards and has become the hero of films.

The Berlin-based International League for Human Rights awarded the former intelligence officer a medal in 2014 named after Carl von Ossietzky, a German pacifist and journalist who won the 1935 Nobel Peace Prize, for his unique revelations of egregious human rights violations.

Snowden received the 2014 International Living Dignity Award, often referred to by journalists as an alternative Nobel Prize and awarded for his work in the field of the environment and human rights, for “with great courage in disclosing classified electronic surveillance materials conducted by US intelligence agencies.” outside the bounds of democratic control and in violation of fundamental civil rights." The laureate himself was not present at the ceremony in Stockholm, but participated via a direct video link from Russia.

In March 2016, the Norwegian PEN Club, which brings together writers, poets and journalists, awarded him the Carl von Ossietzky Prize, which is awarded for work in the field of freedom of expression. Its presentation is scheduled for November 18. After the award was awarded, the club said that they would like to see the laureate in Oslo. Snowden's lawyers are seeking Norwegian authorities to allow him to attend the awards ceremony with legal guarantees against his extradition to the United States from Norway.

“We are the same age, and in a sense I perceive this fight with the National Security Agency as the battle of our generation,” Durov said in an interview with the British newspaper Daily Mail.

Durov noted that he had never met him personally, but offered him a job in his new messaging application Telegram. Snowden rejected this offer.

During this time, even a special award named after a former NSA employee managed to appear. The Internet Media Awards (IMA) was established in the spring of 2014 by the RAEC Internet Media Commission together with the Notamedia company and the Ekho Moskvy radio station. The organizers note that Snowden personally agreed to have the award named after him.

In addition, this year the film “Snowden” directed by Oliver Stone is expected, in which the main role was played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the girlfriend of the movie hero, Shainlyn Woodley. According to the director, the film will be in the “political thriller” genre. He will tell the story of Snowden from the time when he was not yet an intelligence agent until the scandal with the leak of classified information. The Russian premiere of the film will take place simultaneously with the world premiere - on September 15. The film is scheduled to premiere in the United States on September 16, 2016.

Stone has already demonstrated the edited film to lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, based on whose book the film was based. “I was very impressed because I didn’t expect that such a great artist as Oliver Stone would pay attention to my book and make a good quality movie based on the book. Not just a movie, not just some blockbuster, but a movie that makes you think.” , said Kucherena.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

Anatoly Kucherena told reporters that his ward receives a lot of different invitations every day “from almost all countries of the world,” “he is invited to give lectures, speak, and speak out on certain issues.”

It was also reported that Snowden will speak at a festival in Denmark via video link and talk with event participants about equality and human rights.

“He is a very sought-after person, but let’s also take into account that he works a lot, he really has a lot to do now, including, he pays a lot of attention to human rights issues and many other issues,” said his lawyer.

Snowden also expressed his views on Russian anti-terrorism laws. A former employee of the American intelligence services criticized in his microblog on the social network Twitter a package of laws that introduce life imprisonment for international terrorism and oblige telecom operators, instant messengers and social networks to store information about the facts of conversations and correspondence of users and their content.

"Mass surveillance doesn't work. This law will take away every Russian's money and freedom without improving security. Don't sign it," Snowden added.

In addition, CNN reported that Snowden is developing a model of a case for the iPhone 6 smartphone, which will completely block the transmission of the GPS signal and thereby avoid surveillance by intelligence services. Snowden is conducting this work in collaboration with American hacker Andrew Huang, who now lives in Singapore.

The developers published a report on their research, in which they explain that new models of mobile phones transmit information about the location of the device even in “flight mode”. According to Snowden's idea, the technology will be able to help, first of all, journalists and human rights activists, but will also be available to anyone who wants to protect themselves from surveillance.

Journalist David Miranda, a partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, with whom he has been working on Snowden's classified materials since 2013, said that new documents revealing revelations about the former US intelligence officer will soon be published in the Intercept magazine.

“I think that these documents will be a big surprise for the whole world. There are a large number of documents that have not been previously published,” Miranda said in an interview with RT.

This man made a lot of noise in the United States. What about in the States? They talk about him and know him all over the world.

One fine day, a young man handed over to journalists an “information bomb” - secret information about the total surveillance of American intelligence services. Soon this “bomb” exploded, making Edward Snowden enemy number one for some, and for others, on the contrary, a real hero and role model.

Photo images.wired.it

As you know, Snowden was not brought to Russia by love, desire to travel, or similar circumstances:

Photo hipsterconservative.com

Edward told how ordinary Russian citizens react to him. He is a popular, “media” personality, so the answer was quite natural:

Photo tvgoodness.com

The famous American director Oliver Stone, who made a film about the fate of Edward, also showed interest in Snowden’s life. The first trailer for the film was released recently:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt played the leading role as Snowden. The premiere is scheduled for September 16.

In 2013, a real spy drama unfolded in the world. Only the lazy did not follow the movements of the fugitive CIA agent Edward Snowden.

So who is this animated adventure novel character and why was he hunted by the world's most famous intelligence agencies?

Where did Snowden live and work?

What did Edward Snowden say?

Why did Snowden declassify the information?

Why did Snowden betray the US?

Why did Snowden flee the US?

How did Snowden leave the US and end up in Moscow?

Where does Snowden work and live now?