Edward Snowden is one of the most divisive figures on Earth.
Snowden rose to fame after leaking classified information about government spying.
The files exposed a shocking range of high-tech intrusions, fromsnooping on world leaderstomonitoring the porn preferences of Islamists.
The repercussions continue to reverberate today.
They have also condemned Snowden to a life in exile but he continues to speak out.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Now a privacy advocate, Snowden has unique experiences and insights about invasive technologies.
you’ve got the option to read our coverage of the issue below.
COVID-19 isnt the first global pandemic, but it is the firstofthealgorithmicage.
This has created both opportunities and threats.
While digital evangelists argue that tech is curbing the virus, critics are concerned that its superchargingsurveillance.
The whistleblower warned that the systems being launched would be hard to remove once the pandemic receded.
When we see emergency measures passed, particularly today, they tend to be sticky,he said.
The emergency tends to be expanded.
Then the authorities become comfortable with some new power.
They start to like it.
Snowden spoke amid a rapid rollout of an array of invasive tools and rules, frombiosurveillancesystems todrone monitoring.
Amnesty Internationalsaidthat human rights restrictions were spreading almost as quickly as the virus.
These ostensibly brief intrusions can quickly be extended.
The USA Patriot Act, for instance, granted many powers on a temporary basis that laterbecame permanent.
Snowden suspected that history would soon be repeated.
Two years later, his prediction is proving prescient.
Governments have sought tomake emergency powers permanentand integrate their new tools intobroader surveillance systems.
Politicians appear to have heeded the advice of Winston Churchill: Never let a good crisis go to waste.
Unfortunately, this may be to the detriment of our rights and liberties.
Edward Snowden will be speaking at TNW Conference on 16 June in Amsterdam.
To hear his thoughts on this and more,you’re free to buy a ticket here.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
