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Ex-CIA employee source of leak on PRISM program
Former CIA employee Edward Snowden revealed on Sunday that he was the source of a leak about a top-secret US program code-named PRISM that monitored internet use and phone records, saying he revealed the information to protect “basic liberties for people around the world”.
Edward Snowden, 29, said he deliberated at length before publicising the details of the National Security Agency (NSA) program, saying he did so because he felt the United States was building a “massive surveillance machine” that spied on Americans.
PRISM reportedly grants the NSA access to emails and other online communications from US internet servers in order to track foreign nationals suspected of terrorism or espionage. The NSA also collects information from the telephone records of US clients, but not the content of calls.
“I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under,” he said.
He said that in its pursuit of primarily foreign surveillance targets, US agencies are increasingly monitoring American citizens and temporarily storing vast amounts of their information because “it is the easiest, most efficient and most valuable way” to collect intelligence.
“With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife’s phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards,” he said.
The CIA and the White House declined to comment, while a spokesman for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper would not comment directly about Snowden but said the intelligence community was reviewing any damage done by the leaks.
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police accessed more than 40,000 phone and computer records last year without a warrant.
It comes as controversy rages over the US National Security Agency's (NSA) controversial PRISM program, details of which were leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Under PRISM, which has been running for six years, the NSA can issue directives to internet firms demanding access to emails, online chats, pictures, files, videos and more uploaded by foreign users.
Less than two weeks ago, AFP deputy commissioner Michael Phelan reportedly told a Senate estimates hearing that last financial year, federal police made 43,362 internal requests for "metadata" on Australians' phone and internet records.
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Former CIA employee Edward Snowden revealed on Sunday that he was the source of a leak about a top-secret US program code-named PRISM that monitored internet use and phone records, saying he revealed the information to protect “basic liberties for people around the world”.
Edward Snowden, 29, said he deliberated at length before publicising the details of the National Security Agency (NSA) program, saying he did so because he felt the United States was building a “massive surveillance machine” that spied on Americans.
PRISM reportedly grants the NSA access to emails and other online communications from US internet servers in order to track foreign nationals suspected of terrorism or espionage. The NSA also collects information from the telephone records of US clients, but not the content of calls.
“I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under,” he said.
He said that in its pursuit of primarily foreign surveillance targets, US agencies are increasingly monitoring American citizens and temporarily storing vast amounts of their information because “it is the easiest, most efficient and most valuable way” to collect intelligence.
“With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife’s phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards,” he said.
The CIA and the White House declined to comment, while a spokesman for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper would not comment directly about Snowden but said the intelligence community was reviewing any damage done by the leaks.
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police accessed more than 40,000 phone and computer records last year without a warrant.
It comes as controversy rages over the US National Security Agency's (NSA) controversial PRISM program, details of which were leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Under PRISM, which has been running for six years, the NSA can issue directives to internet firms demanding access to emails, online chats, pictures, files, videos and more uploaded by foreign users.
Less than two weeks ago, AFP deputy commissioner Michael Phelan reportedly told a Senate estimates hearing that last financial year, federal police made 43,362 internal requests for "metadata" on Australians' phone and internet records.
