Russia recently passed a law - I think a terrible law - which says you have to store all of the data from Russian citizens on Russian soil just to prevent other countries from playing the same kind of legal games we're playing in this Microsoft case.

The surveillance revelations are critically important because they revealed that our rights are being redefined in secret, by secret courts that were never intended to have that role - without the consent of the public, without even the awareness of the majority of our political representatives.

I must say I'm surprised by how skeptical of the [Barack] Obama administration The Nation has been.

When Laura Poitras asked me if she could film our encounters, I was extremely reluctant. I’m grateful that I allowed her to persuade me. The result is a brave and brilliant film that deserves the honor and recognition it has received. My hope is that this award will encourage more people to see the film and be inspired by its message that ordinary citizens, working together, can change the world.

I describe myself as an indoor cat, because I'm a computer guy and I always have been.

All the governments just want to have more power when it comes to economic espionage, diplomatic manipulation and political influence.

The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.