Edward Snowden’s Testimony to European Parliament on NSA
Independent Science News has decided to reprint in full the March 7th testimony of Edward Snowden to the European Parliament. Snowden’s testimony is vitally important for every citizen in every country to understand, yet it has barely been covered by the commercial or (non-commercial) global media. At stake is the possibility of individuals and organizations (not just the media) to function as checks on executive power. It also demonstrates the ability of a secret agency to become an executive power, able even to control the spy services of foreign countries. Publication here will enable ISN readers to hear from Snowden himself about what he considers the scope and significance of ‘suspicionless surveillance’ and its implications for democratic rights and free-speech. What Snowden shows is that surveillance is both a breach of our personal rights but it also imperils our ability to collectively enforce all of our rights.