The only thing I fear is the harmful effects on my family, who I won't be able to help any more. That's what keeps me up at night.

Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector, anywhere I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the President

Citizens have to fight suppression of information on matters of vital public importance. To tell the truth is not a crime.

No one would argue that it's in the United States' interest to have independent knowledge of the plans and intentions of foreign countries. But we need to think about where to draw the line on these kind of operations so we're not always attacking our allies, the people we trust, the people we need to rely on, and to have them in turn rely on us.

If the government or the parties won't address our needs, we will. It's about direct action, even civil disobedience.

I have used mass surveillance to target people, so I do know how it works.

Are our competitors - for example, China, which is a deeply authoritarian nation - becoming more authoritarian or more liberal over time?