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US whistleblower Edward Snowden addresses the other speakers and audience through a live video link from Moscow
Image: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesImage: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, a former US intelligence contractor, made headlines on June 5, 2013 with his disclosure of classified information on global surveillance by the NSA. The leak shone the spotlight on data protection.

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All Content on this topic

DW Shift Whistleblower

Risks for digital whistleblowers

Whistleblowers often publish inside information online - a brave and highly risky venture.
February 2, 2016
DW Shift Whistleblower

Risks for digital whistleblowers

Whistleblowers often publish inside information online - a brave and highly risky venture.
SocietyFebruary 1, 201604:14 min
Artist Christian Sievers in Cologne

Enter a whistlerblower's surveillance web for art

Cologne-based artist Christian Sievers wants you to call a number that will most likely get you tracked by the NSA.
November 13, 2015
Satya Nadella CEO Microsoft Archiv 30.01.2014

Germany-only cloud service launched

European clients to be offered cloud storage services that store everything in Germany for privacy-sensitive clients.
November 11, 2015
Edward Snowden

Snowden gets European support but still remains in limbo

The EP resolution in support of Snowden is more than symbolic, but is unlikely to free him from his current limbo.
October 30, 2015
Edward Snowden

EU Parliament calls for Snowden's protection

The EU Parliament has called for Edward Snowden to be protected from extradition. Russia granted him asylum in 2013.
October 29, 2015
Facebook users work on their laptops in front of a Facebook logo

Ireland to probe Facebook data sharing

The world's biggest social network could be headed for more legal trouble over its handling of private data.
October 20, 2015
Edward Snowden

@dwnews - Edward Snowden's Twitter life

PoliticsOctober 16, 201503:28 min
Screenshot Edward Snowden Twitter

Edward Snowden 140 characters at a time

After only three weeks on Twitter, Edward Snowden is proving to be a force to be reconed with within the Twitterverse.
October 16, 2015
Europarat Edward Snowden Videoschalte 08.04.2014

Snowden hails 'Safe Harbor' verdict

Edward Snowden has praised Europe for invalidating a pact that allowed data transfers between the US and EU.
October 6, 2015
Edward Snowden artifiziertes Porträt Poster

Snowden says UK mobile phones unsafe

Edward Snowden says British spies can hack into mobile phones using text messages.
October 6, 2015
NSA-Enthüller Edward Snowden

@dwnews - NSA leaker Edward @Snowden joins Twitter

September 29, 201501:44 min
NSA-Enthüller Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden joins Twitter

The former NSA employee, made famous after leaking classified secrets to the public, now has a Twitter account.
September 29, 2015
Demonstration gegen massenhafte Überwachung der Kommunikation

Help for troubled spies

A campaign has been launched in Berlin aimed at helping intelligence agents with moral qualms to leave secret services.
September 29, 2015
Edward Snowden accepts the Bjornson prize via live video feed in Norway

Edward Snowden receives freedom of speech prize

A Norwegian prize for freedom of speech has been awarded to Edward Snowden for his dedication to data privacy.
September 5, 2015
A man holds a Facebook flag at protests in Moscow (photo: EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV)

Russia tightens Internet controls

A new law on storing personal data in Russia is the latest government move to tighten controls, critics say.ac
September 2, 2015

Who's got our data?

Who's got our data? And what if they know more about us than we do ourselves?
SocietyAugust 25, 201502:36 min
Symbolbild NSA Abhöraffäre

AT&T 'key partner in NSA spying'

The US espionage agency used its partnership with telecom giant AT&T to conduct spying on a massive scale, reports say.
August 16, 2015
Laura Poitras

Filmmaker files lawsuit against US government over years

Director Laura Poitras has sued the US government after claiming she was questioned over 50 times in six years.
July 14, 2015
Deutschland NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss Ronald Pofalla

Former Merkel aide defends himself over NSA claims

The former Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery blames the media for its alleged misinterpretation of the NSA affair
July 3, 2015
Bildcombo Chirac Sarkozy Hollande

Hollande: alleged US espionage 'unacceptable'

France "won't tolerate" security threats, Francois Hollande said after reports of NSA spying on three presidents.
June 24, 2015
NSA-Hauptquartier in Fort Meade (Maryland)

WikiLeaks: NSA spied on French presidents

On the eve of a parliamentary vote on surveillance, WikiLeaks reveals that the NSA had spied on three French Presidents.
June 24, 2015
Berlin Verleihung des 65. Deutschen Filmpreises "Lola" Sebastian Schipper

'Victoria' sweeps German film awards

The fast-paced suspense film "Victoria" has swept up six awards at the German Film Awards, including best picture.
June 20, 2015
USA Washington Protest gegen Prism

Data retention dilemma

Germany’s Commissioner for Data Protection has published a report criticizing government plans on mass data retention.
June 17, 2015
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

Lawyer: Cristina Fernandez took meeting with Snowden

Argentina's president reportedly met with Snowden during a recent visit to Moscow.
June 5, 2015

US Senate passes NSA reform

The US Senate has authorized a bill capping domestic surveillance by the NSA, after weeks of heated debate.
June 2, 2015
Symbolbild NSA Abhöraffäre

US senators meet with time running out for Patriot Act

US Senate is holding a rare Sunday session to try to break an impasse over reforms to the Patriot Act.
May 31, 2015
NSA Symbolbild

Hey Patriot, what about Freedom?

America responded to 9/11 by expanding surveillance through the Patriot Act. The debate is now about a Freedom Act.
May 31, 2015

Merkel knew 'no spy' agreement with the NSA was a no-go

The government has said it spoke according to what it believed to be true at the time.
May 27, 2015
Deutschland BND Abhörskandal Symbolbild

Civil rights groups slam German intel policies

The German state is undermining constitutional civil rights, according to a report by civil rights groups.
May 22, 2015
Berlin NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss Gerhard Schindler

BND boss Schindler defends cooperation with NSA

The head of the BND has said that the German intelligence agency needs to work with the NSA to safeguard the country
May 21, 2015
NSA Symbolbild

US House votes to end bulk data collection

The lower house of the US Congress has approved a measure to end the bulk collection of Americans' phone data.
May 14, 2015
NSA Symbolbild

US court rules NSA metadata sweep illegal

A US court has ruled that the NSA has exceeded its mandate by collecting data from millions of Americans' phone calls.
May 7, 2015
Deutschland Mai Snowden Tag Statue

The 'fourth chair'

What would you say to the world if you could? This is the question posed by a sculpture on Berlin's Alexanderplatz.
May 1, 2015
Deutschland Luftwaffe Eurofighter Airpolicing Baltikum

Airbus to press charges on NSA/BND spying claims

Airbus is not taking the latest NSA espionage allegations lightly, saying it will press industrial espionage charges.
April 30, 2015
Edward Snowden Statue Brooklyn New York USA

Snowden bust removed from NYC park

A statue depicting whistleblower Edward Snowden has been removed from a New York park hours after it was erected.
April 7, 2015
Falkland Inseln Magellan Pinguin

Snowden: UK spied on Argentina

New documents leaked by US whistle-blower Edward Snowden show Britain recently spied on Argentine leaders.
April 3, 2015
Victoria & Albert Museum "All this belongs to you" exhibition, Snowden Laptop Copyright: The Guardian/ Victoria & Albert Museum, London 2015

Snowden computer

The V&A, an art and design museum in London, is showing the hard drives that held documents leaked by Edward Snowden.
April 2, 2015
Glenn Greenwald und Sigmar Gabriel Siebenpfeiffer Preisverleihung

Greenwald: US threatened Germany over Snowden

The White House denied the US would withhold information on terror attacks if Germany offered asylum to Edward Snowden.
March 21, 2015
Edward Snowden auf der CeBIT in Hannover

'You are under attack,' Snowden tells CeBIT-goers

Two years after Edward Snowden's revelations, security has become a big issue in the technology industry.
March 19, 2015

NSA, British spies 'hack SIM card company'

US and British 'spies steal digital encryption keys of the world's largest SIM card manufacturer.
February 20, 2015
Merkel bei Obama 09.02.2015

Merkel, Obama discuss NSA, Iran

The US president admitted in Washington that Edward Snowden's revelations "damaged impressions" of the NSA in Germany.
February 10, 2015
Großbritannien Government Communications Headquarters Hauptsitz

Tribunal rules GCHQ spying was unlawful

A UK tribunal has ruled that until recently, the country's GCHQ intelligence service acted illegally.
February 6, 2015
Verleihung des Alternativen Nobelpreises an Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden gets human rights award in Berlin

The trio responsible for breaking last year's NSA spying scandal have been honored for defending human rights. Prominent Germans praised the work of Edward Snowden, journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras.
December 14, 2014

Court disallows bid to invite Snowden to testify in Berlin

Snowden invitation foiled
December 12, 2014
Edward Snowden

Alternative Nobel Peace Prize to Snowden

Former CIA analyst Edward Snowden has called on the United Nations to take steps to ensure individual privacy and promote human rights. The whistleblower was honored with the Right Livelihood award on Monday.
December 1, 2014
Cyber Angriff Symbol

Intel groups suspected in Regin virus

Software analysts seem to agree that the Regin malware program is so advanced and discreet that it was most likely produced by an intelligence agency. The now-infamous initials NSA and GCHQ are being bandied about.
November 25, 2014
Vodafone Abhörskandal

Snowden files: Telecoms firm helped GCHQ

Media reports indicate that a British cable firm now owned by Vodafone helped Britain's spy agency GCHQ eavesdrop on millions of Internet users. The reports cite documents released by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.
November 21, 2014
NSA committee room in German parliament

NSA affair: committee calls intelligence witnesses

The German Federal Intelligence Agency works closely with the USA, and because of that it may have violated laws. A parliamentary committee has launched an investigation into potential violations of privacy.
October 10, 2014
Protest group "Akkurater Widerstand"

Meet Germany's 'average' data protesters

Europeans were livid when Edward Snowden revealed the NSA's mass surveillance of civilians. But a year on studies suggest many Europeans simply don't care about the spying. One group wants to reach these normal people.
ScienceSeptember 22, 201404:50 min