From presidents to serial killers, Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone hasn’t shied away from exploring controversial figures, but he initially balked when asked to make a film about former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.
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Snowden’s defenders don’t deny that he broke the law-not to mention oaths and contractual obligations-when he copied and kept 1.5 million classified documents.
Snowden said, “Yes.” There have been important changes in US and European laws, some internet companies are responding with full encryption and pushing back against government pressure, and people are more aware of the issue, he said, adding, “It’s gotten a little better”.
With the release of Oliver Stone’s new Snowden movie, it’s probably safe to assume that the debate about Edward Snowden and his release of classified information regarding United States surveillance activities will re-intensify.
“His conduct put American lives at risk and it risked American national security. But we believe that he should return to the United States and face these charges”, Earnest added.
In their cover letter for entry The Post said they had “been on the leading edge of reporting on the Snowden documents”.
Snowden’s actions sparked worldwide discussions about privacy, government accountability and the basic rights of citizens while also giving your uncle the flawless fodder for politically charged Facebook posts. Whistleblower Edward Snowden says the movie is very close to reality when it comes to politics.
Most people think of privacy in terms of their settings on Facebook, Snowden said.
These revelations directly contributed to at least one major reform that attempted to restrain the surveillance authorities of the NSA to make sure mass data collection is targeted toward particular search efforts and not just happening in bulk.
There was little evidence that the phone records or other surveillance programs Snowden revealed ever thwarted an attack. Snowden took it upon himself to decide for the entire country what should – and should not be – secret. Right now, a number of people are arguing that President Obama should pardon Snowden.
“The vast majority of what he took has nothing to do with American privacy”, said Adam Schiff of California, the leading Democrat on the committee.
Ruppersberger says Snowden’s disclosure harmed the US, especially in its fight against terrorism.
By a margin of almost 2 to 1, 60 percent of Americans said his disclosures harmed national security. Technical consultant Ralph Echemendia, who also attended the NY premiere, said that it was his job to “fill in the blanks technically”. “There are mechanisms in our criminal justice system to ensure that he’s treated fairly and consistent with the law”, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. He was reprimanded, and began downloading information two weeks later.
The committee also described Mr Snowden as a “serial exaggerator and fabricator”. The former chair of the House panel that just released this report, former congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), repeatedly said he thought Snowden was a spy for Russian Federation (an unfounded assertion).
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“He also doctored his performance evaluations and obtained new positions at NSA by exaggerating his resume and stealing the answers to an employment test”, the report said.
