In a clandestine tête-à-tête on the tenth anniversary of his groundbreaking disclosures, Edward Snowden sounded a warning about the surveillance landscape, asserting that the technology employed today far surpasses the capabilities of US and British intelligence agencies back in 2013 when he first unveiled their covert activities.
Speaking about the transformative impact of technology, Snowden expressed his concerns about the pervasive intrusion into both the physical and digital realms. In his enigmatic style, he remarked, “Technology has grown to be enormously influential. If we think about what we saw in 2013 and the capabilities of governments today, 2013 seems like child’s play.”
The exiled whistleblower, residing in Russia since 2013, acknowledged the positive shifts brought about by his revelations, particularly highlighting the widespread adoption of end-to-end encryption. He lauded the Big Tech companies’ move to bolster user privacy in response to revelations of data-sharing with intelligence agencies.
Yet, Snowden, ever the vigilant sentinel, expressed worries about the current landscape. He emphasized the threats posed not only by governments and tech giants but also by commercially available surveillance cameras, facial recognition, artificial intelligence, and intrusive spyware such as Pegasus.
Reflecting on the trust placed in governments and tech companies back in 2013, he remarked, “We trusted the government not to screw us. But they did. We trusted the tech companies not to take advantage of us. But they did. That is going to happen again because that is the nature of power.”
As Snowden navigates his exile, critics continue to decry his Russian sanctuary, yet he remains steadfast in his choices. “I have no regrets,” he asserted. While Snowden has retreated from the public eye in recent years, his legacy endures, with end-to-end encryption standing out as a testament to the enduring impact of his revelations.
However, he cautioned against complacency, recognizing the evolving nature of the privacy battle. “The idea that after the revelations in 2013 there would be rainbows and unicorns the next day is not realistic. It is an ongoing process. And we will have to be working at it for the rest of our lives and our children’s lives and beyond.”