Keith Mack
Edward Snowden is a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator who released confidential government documents to the press in 2013. He was charged with a political crime, but has not been extradited to face legal charges as he has asylum in Russia. Snowden's actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Violated the Espionage Act of 1917 | Identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason |
| Charged with a political crime | Granted asylum in a non-extraditing country |
| Shared top-secret information with the media | Illegal |
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What You'll Learn
Leaking documents to journalists
Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. However, because he went to a non-extraditing country and got asylum, he is not in jail. Snowden leaked confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts, and the U.S. government, his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act and that he had a duty to inform the public about what was being done in their name and against them.
Snowden was a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator. He released confidential government documents to the press, which was illegal. Snowden knew that coming forward would have consequences, including legal charges. Despite this, he chose to share top-secret information with the media. Snowden's actions have been described as "whistleblowing", and he believes that leaking and whistleblowing are different.
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Violating the Espionage Act of 1917
Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. However, he has not been extradited to face legal charges as he is currently receiving asylum in Russia.
Snowden, a computer expert and former CIA systems administrator, released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts, and the U.S. government, his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act, justifying his “whistleblowing” by stating that he had a duty “to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them”.
Snowden's actions caused a great deal of controversy, with some viewing him as a traitor and others as a hero. Despite the fact that he broke the law, Snowden's actions have sparked important debates about government surveillance and the role of whistleblowers in holding governments accountable.
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Committing treason
Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. He has not been extradited to face legal charges, however, as he has asylum in Russia.
Snowden released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts, and the US government, his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act, and that leaking and whistleblowing are different.
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Sharing top-secret information
Edward Snowden shared top-secret information with the media, which was illegal. He released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts, and the U.S. government, his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Snowden was charged with a political crime, but he has not been extradited to face legal charges as he has asylum in Russia. Snowden himself argued that leaking and whistleblowing are different and that he had a moral obligation to act.
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Using intelligence technology for unofficial purposes
Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. He has not been extradited to face legal charges, however, as he is currently receiving asylum in Russia.
Snowden released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. Legal experts and the US government argue that his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Snowden has argued that he had a moral obligation to act, and that leaking and whistleblowing are different.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes.
Snowden broke the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason.
Snowden released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs.
Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He believed he had a duty to inform the public about what was being done in their name and against them.
Snowden was charged with a political crime. However, he received asylum in Russia, a non-extraditing country, and so has not faced legal charges.
