I told the government I'd volunteer for prison, as long as it served the right purpose.

It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in the world to say that you can't do this.

The issue I brought forward most clearly was that of mass surveillance, not of surveillance in general.

We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.

I don't go out and play football and stuff - that's not me. I want to think, I want to build, I want to talk, I want to create.

Some months after [Keith Alexander] made that statement [Edward Snowden cause grave and irrevocable harm to the nation], the new director of the NSA, Michael Rogers, said that, in fact, he doesn't see the sky falling. It's not so serious after all.

The question is: Particularly in the post-9/11 era, are societies becoming more liberal or more authoritarian?