Our founders did not write that 'We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all US Persons are created equal.'
Edward SnowdenWhen we have some horrible terrorist attacks happen in some country we see in the recording that follows, that the intelligence community already knew about these people in advance. We know that these countries were involved in intelligence sharing premiums, that they benefited from mass surveillance, and yet they didn't stop the attacks. Yet at the same time we immediately see intelligence officials running to the newspapers and claiming that we need more surveillance, that we need more intrusion, that we need more expense of powers because it could have stopped an attack.
Edward SnowdenI had been looking for leaders, but I realized that leadership is about being the first to act.
Edward SnowdenThe FBI was creating a world where citizens rely on Apple to defend their rights, rather than the other way around.
Edward SnowdenWhen it comes to cyber warfare, we have more to lose than any other nation on earth. The technical sector is the backbone of the American economy, and if we start engaging in these kind of behaviors, in these kind of attacks, we're setting a standard, we're creating a new international norm of behavior that says this is what nations do. This is what developed nations do.
Edward Snowden