Edward Snowden remains in Russia after 10 years, even as U.S. surveillance laws have changed since his revelations.
The backstory: In 2013, Snowden leaked files revealing the NSA’s mass electronic data collection on American citizens.
* Snowden fled the U.S. and shared the classified information with Western journalists, sparking a debate over government surveillance and personal privacy.
Reactions: Many in the national security community view Snowden as a traitor, while others, like journalist Barton Gellman, believe he did substantially more good than harm.
* Snowden still faces criminal charges in the U.S. under the Espionage Act.
Changes since 2013: Congress rewrote the law allowing the NSA’s bulk phone records collection in 2015 with the U.S.A. Freedom Act.
* Snowden notes an increase in understanding and encryption use in response to the revelations of government and private companies collecting personal data.
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