US
surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden warned that terrorism has
been treated as a “legislative magic wand” for facilitating
increased state surveillance
Snowden
was speaking at a special Q&A event Friday, hosted by a Norwegian
freedom of expression group PEN International. Joining the
organization’s Q&A session live from Moscow, Snowden spoke via
Skype to interviewer Christian Borch about the increase of mass
surveillance since 2013, the impact of ‘politics of fear’ and the
lack of laws protecting whistleblowers.
When
asked if Snowden thought his groundbreaking revelations had made any
“significant political effect” over the last three years, the
whistleblower warned the problem of state surveillance is actually
worse than ever. “[The] UK just this week passed the most
extreme surveillance bill in the history of western surveillance. In
fact many commentators and legal experts have said they’re bill is
worse than the new Chinese surveillance bill,” he said.
“Germany has passed what it called reform laws that actually
reduced the rights that are enjoyed by German citizens. The French
have done the same.”
Snowden
went on to call this new wave of legislation a “tipping point in
the history of our rights” and stressed the responsibility for
creating change lies with the people, as history has taught us that
“elected officials can and must be trusted as little as
possible.”
“The
boundaries of what we consider orthodox, of what it means to live in
a free society, are being reshaped, often behind closed doors without
our knowledge and consent.” Snowden went on the blame the
‘politics of fear’ for aiding legislators who use ‘national
security’ to push their agenda for greater surveillance, saying:
“Terrorism has become somewhat of a legislative magic wand.”
Regarding
US President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Rep. Mike
Pompeo as director of the CIA – the man who has called for Snowden
to face the death penalty over his NSA disclosures – Snowden
stressed the need for international laws protecting whistleblowers.
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