Based on information Snowden leaked to The Guardian[4] in May 2013 while employed at NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, the British newspaper published aseries of exposés in 2013 that revealed programs such as the interception of U.S. and European telephone metadata and the PRISM, XKeyscore, and Tempora Internet surveillance programs. Snowden's disclosures are said to rank among the most significant NSA security breaches in United States history.[5][6]
On June 14, 2013, United States federal prosecutors charged Snowden withespionage and theft of government property.[7][8][9] Snowden had left the United States prior to the publication of his disclosures, first to Hong Kong and then to Russia, where he received temporary asylum and now resides in an undisclosed location.
Snowden has been a subject of controversy: he has been variously called a hero,[10][11] a whistleblower,[12][13][14] a dissident,[15] and a traitor.[16][17] Snowden has defended his leaks as an effort "to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them."[18] Some U.S. officials condemned his actions as having done "grave damage" to the U.S. intelligence capabilities while others, such as former president Jimmy Carter, have applauded his actions.[19][20]Meanwhile, the media disclosures have renewed debates both inside and outside the United States over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance betweennational security and information privacy. hildhood, family and education
Edward Joseph Snowden was born on June 21, 1983[21] in Elizabeth City, North Carolina,[22] and grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina.[23] His father, Lonnie Snowden, a resident of Pennsylvania, was an officer in the United States Coast