Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden is a technology professional known for his pivotal role in revealing classified government surveillance programs, transitioning from a career in intelligence to a leading voice on privacy and digital rights. After revealing thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists in June 2013, exposing extensive global surveillance programs by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.K.’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Edward Snowden cemented his role as a leading voice on privacy and digital rights. His career in technology and intelligence commenced in 2005 as a security guard for the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Study of Language, a role requiring high-level security clearance.

Granted asylum in Russia in August 2013, he has since become a prominent advocate for privacy and digital rights. In 2016, Snowden was named president of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, where he leverages teleconference engagements to speak globally on critical topics concerning digital security and civil liberties. His memoir, ‘Permanent Record,’ was published in September 2019. A U.S.

federal court ruled one of the mass surveillance programs exposed by Snowden illegal in September 2020, validating the significance of his disclosures. He was granted permanent residency in Russia in October 2020, and later became a naturalized Russian citizen in September 2022. He formalized his status by swearing an oath of allegiance to Russia and receiving a Russian passport in December 2022. Through his ongoing leadership at the Freedom of the Press Foundation and extensive international speaking engagements, Edward Snowden remains a key figure in the global discourse surrounding government transparency, surveillance, and the fundamental right to digital privacy.