At the trial of Chelsea Manning, the government could point to no case of specific damage that had been caused by the massive revelation of classified information. The charges are a reaction to the government's embarrassment more than genuine concern about these activities, or they would substantiate what harms were done.
Edward Snowden[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."
Edward SnowdenWe need to put the security back in the National Security Agency. We can't have the national surveillance agency.
Edward SnowdenI wasn't trying to change the laws or slow down the machine. Maybe I should have. My critics say that I was not revolutionary enough. But they forget that I am a product of the system. I worked those desks, I know those people and I still have some faith in them, that the services can be reformed.
Edward Snowden