Snowden disclosures

Quick Facts: Who was Snowden disclosures?

Subject:

Snowden disclosures

Known for:

Former NSA contractor whose disclosures exposed global surveillance networks.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Starting in 2013, various media outlets reported on classified documents leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. These media reports disclosed several secret treaties signed by members of the UKUSA community in their efforts to implement global surveillance. For example, Der Spiegel revealed how the German Federal Intelligence Service (German: Bundesnachrichtendienst; BND) transfers "massive amounts of intercepted data to the NSA", while Swedish Television revealed the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) provided the NSA with data from its cable collection, under a secret agreement signed in 1954 for bilateral cooperation on surveillance. Other security and intelligence agencies involved in the practice of global surveillance include those in Australia (ASD), Britain (GCHQ), Canada (CSE), Denmark (PET), France (DGSE), Germany (BND), Italy (AISE), Japan (DIH), the Netherlands (AIVD), Norway (NIS), Spain (CNI), Switzerland (NDB), Singapore (SID) as well as Israel (ISNU), which receives raw, unfiltered data of U.S. citizens from the NSA. On June 14, 2013, United States prosecutors charged Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property.

Career & Major Achievements

In late July 2013, he was granted a one-year temporary asylum by the Russian government, contributing to a deterioration of Russia–United States relations. Toward the end of October 2013, British prime minister David Cameron threatened to issue a D-Notice after The Guardian published "damaging" intelligence leaks from Snowden. In November 2013, a criminal investigation of the disclosure was undertaken by Britain's Metropolitan Police Service. In December 2013, The Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said: "We have published I think 26 documents so far out of the 58,000 we've seen." The extent to which the media reports responsibly informed the public is disputed. In January 2014, Barack Obama, then the president of the United States, claimed that "the sensational way in which these disclosures have come out has often shed more heat than light" and critics such as Sean Wilentz have noted that many of the Snowden documents do not concern domestic surveillance.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In its first assessment of these disclosures, the Pentagon concluded that Snowden committed the biggest "theft" of U.S. secrets in the history of the United States. Sir David Omand, a former director of GCHQ, described Snowden's disclosure as the "most catastrophic loss to British intelligence ever". Snowden obtained the documents while working for Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the largest contractors for defense and intelligence in the United States. The initial simultaneous publication in June 2013 by The Washington Post and The Guardian continued throughout 2013. A small portion of the estimated full cache of documents was later published by other media outlets worldwide, most notably The New York Times (United States), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Der Spiegel (Germany), O Globo (Brazil), Le Monde (France), L'espresso (Italy), NRC Handelsblad (the Netherlands), Dagbladet (Norway), El País (Spain), and Sveriges Television (Sweden).

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1954: 1954 Milestone — For example, Der Spiegel revealed how the German Federal Intelligence Service (German: Bundesnachrichtendienst; BND) transfers "massive amounts of intercepted data to the NSA", while Swedish Television revealed the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) provided the NSA with data from its cable collection, under a secret agreement signed in 1954 for bilateral cooperation on surveillance.
2. 2013: 2013 Milestone — Starting in 2013, various media outlets reported on classified documents leaked by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.
3. 2014: 2014 Milestone — In January 2014, Barack Obama, then the president of the United States, claimed that "the sensational way in which these disclosures have come out has often shed more heat than light" and critics such as Sean Wilentz have noted that many of the Snowden documents do not concern domestic surveillance.

Notable Quotes by Snowden disclosures

“Taken together, the revelations have brought to light a global surveillance system that cast off many of its historical restraints after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Snowden disclosures

True or False: “The initial major publication of Snowden's leaks occurred in late 2013.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The initial simultaneous publication by The Washington Post and The Guardian began in June 2013.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Swartz — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Ada Louise Huxtable — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering American architecture critic who elevated urban design to public discourse.
• Aarathi — Historical peer (Born in 1954) (1954): Veteran Indian actress celebrated for her roles in Kannada cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Abdel Fattah el-Sisi — Historical peer (Born in 1954) (1954): Egyptian military leader who became the sixth President of Egypt in 2014.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• Adolfo Suárez — Historical peer (Died in 2014) (2014): Key architect of Spain's transition to democracy, serving as Prime Minister 1976-1981.

Frequently Asked Questions about Snowden disclosures