🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 16 (from laksa095)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa016.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22837100\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22837100\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100","crawl_time":1773003841,"first_indexed_time":1527743550,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,bbc!www,\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100 s443","src_root_hash":"1643509356818581016","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Profile: Edward Snowden - BBC News","meta_descriptions":["A profile of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked sensitive information about US surveillance programme and now lives in exile in Russia."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.\nJournalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as \"quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers\".\nExplaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: \"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded.\"\nThe US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.\nEach of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.\nMr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity.\nAfter the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador.\nEcuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions.\nWith the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow.\nHe remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year.\nHis father, Lon,\nvisited him\nin October.\nIn 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident.\nHis first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).\nDespite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks.\nBy 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva.\nMr Snowden told\nthe Guardian\n, external\n: \"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.\"\nMr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach.\n\"[Mr Obama] continued with the policies of his predecessor,\" he said.\nAccording to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government.\nMr Snowden reportedly made two donations of $250 (£160) over the course of the campaign.\nHe left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen.\nIn a statement,\n, external\nthe company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii.\n\"News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said.\nMr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence.\nHe was formally sacked on 11 June.\nMr Snowden was on a salary of $122,000 according to a statement from his employer.\nHe and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind.\nA neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and \"didn't really talk to anyone at all around here\".\nHis then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise.\n\"My world has opened and closed all at once,\" Lindsay Mills wrote. \"Leaving me lost at sea without a compass.\"","attrs_markdown":"[BBC Homepage](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n\n- [Skip to content](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100#main-heading)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/accessibility\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/session.bbc.com\/session?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-22837100&sequenceId=15a39e63-7a19-42c4-960b-ba702c9561ba)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Innovation](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n- [More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[Search BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/search?d=NEWS_GNL)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Innovation](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n\nClose menu\n\n[BBC News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n\n[Menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100#product-navigation-menu)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/topics\/cmj34zmwm1zt)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world)\n- [UK](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology)\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science_and_environment)\n- [Entertainment & Arts](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/entertainment_and_arts)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/health)\n- [In Pictures](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/in_pictures)\n\n[More](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22837100#product-navigation-more-menu)\n\n- [BBC Verify](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/bbcverify)\n- [Newsbeat](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/newsbeat)\n\n- [World](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world)\n- [Africa](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/africa)\n- [Asia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/asia)\n- [Australia](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/australia)\n- [Europe](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/europe)\n- [Latin America](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/latin_america)\n- [Middle East](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/middle_east)\n- [US & Canada](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world\/us_and_canada)\n\n# Profile: Edward Snowden\nShare\n\nclose panel\n\nShare page\n\nCopy link\n\n[About sharing](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/usingthebbc\/terms\/can-i-share-things-from-the-bbc)\n\n## To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\nThis video can not be played\n\nMedia caption,\n\nEd Snowden explains why he became a whistleblower (Video courtesy of The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras)\n\n**Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.**\n\nJournalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as \"quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers\".\n\nExplaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: \"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded.\"\n\nThe US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.\n\nEach of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.\n\nMr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity.\n\nAfter the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador.\n\nEcuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions.\n\nWith the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow.\n\nHe remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year.\n\nHis father, Lon, [visited him](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-24470942) in October.\n## 'Disillusioned'\nMr Snowden is reported to have grown up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and later moved to Maryland, near the headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Meade.\n\nDescribing himself as a less-than-stellar student, he is said to have studied computing at a Maryland community college to get the necessary credits to obtain a high school diploma. However, he never finished the course.\n\n![NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland (file image)](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/68071000\/jpg\/_68071994_018241350.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMr Snowden spent some of his early years near the NSA HQ in Fort Meade\n\nIn 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident.\n\nHis first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).\n\nDespite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks.\n\nBy 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva.\n\nMr Snowden told [the Guardian, external](http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk\/world\/2013\/jun\/09\/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance): \"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.\"\n\nMr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach.\n\n\"\\[Mr Obama\\] continued with the policies of his predecessor,\" he said.\n\nAccording to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government.\n\n![Edward Snowden home, Hawaii, 9 June](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/304\/mcs\/media\/images\/68074000\/jpg\/_68074689_rew7l7ko.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nMr Snowden and his girlfriend reportedly moved out of their home in Hawaii on 1 May\n\nMr Snowden reportedly made two donations of \\$250 (£160) over the course of the campaign.\n\nHe left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen.\n\n[In a statement,, external](http:\/\/www.boozallen.com\/media-center\/press-releases\/48399320\/statement-reports-leaked-information-060913) the company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii.\n\n\"News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said.\n\nMr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence.\n\nHe was formally sacked on 11 June.\n\nMr Snowden was on a salary of \\$122,000 according to a statement from his employer.\n\nHe and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind.\n\nA neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and \"didn't really talk to anyone at all around here\".\n\nHis then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise.\n\n\"My world has opened and closed all at once,\" Lindsay Mills wrote. \"Leaving me lost at sea without a compass.\"\n\n## More on this story\n- [US spy chief defends surveillance](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22809541)\n- [Obama defends mass surveillance](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22820711)\n- [US confirms phone records collection](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-22793851)\n- [Just how much do the spooks know?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology-22811580)\n\n## Top stories\n- [Live. Lebanon says nearly 400 killed in Israeli strikes as US confirms death of seventh service member](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/cz0g2yg3579t)\n- ['Night turned into day': Iranians tell of strikes on oil depots](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clygpxq41l3o)\n- [In maps: Nine days of strikes across the Middle East](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4g0pnnj8xyo)\n\n## More to explore\n- ['Our children paid the ultimate price' – How the Dunblane school shooting changed Britain](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cp9m8zmxe25o)\n  \n  ![A black and white photo of Gwen Mayor, a blonde-haired woman in a patterned dress, and her 28 pupils arranged in four rows of seven in a classroom. The children are in school uniform.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/3848\/live\/e1133140-1249-11f1-8b22-397efaf8a324.jpg)\n- [Spectacular images reveal unique sea creatures and corals off Caribbean islands](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgmllk32g72o)\n  \n  ![A barreleye (Opisthoproctus soleatus) seen from above with bulbous eyes swims in the deep sea - there is a dark black background due to its depth](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/5c38\/live\/36d191f0-1978-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.jpg)\n- [Dancers loved practising in this Singapore walkway. Then the complaints came](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4g4q9xl4p6o)\n  \n  ![Young Singaporeans practising dance routines in front of the mirrors at Bayfront MRT station](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/2c38\/live\/d5992c60-1966-11f1-a1cd-a71e69f1cf89.jpg)\n- [I donated my eggs to a woman I met on the Tube](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cqj995nwrw4o)\n  \n  ![Gini (left), Christopher and Anita nearly 30 years later](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/8481\/live\/534cc130-1ae8-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.jpg)\n- [The heartwarming tale of a father, a daughter, and a wedding band wowing India](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c7430kn9ze4o)\n  \n  ![Actor Gajraj Rao in a scene from the film Band Baaja Bitiya](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/c5af\/live\/1c861270-1951-11f1-b048-c9424b2cf5fd.jpg)\n- [From a £1bn dream to a brutal collapse: How Brewdog hit the rocks](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cn4ggqgyk51o)\n  \n  ![A man dressed as a sea captain next to a man wearing a green hat, posing for a photograph in front of bottles of beer](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/0764\/live\/7b8193f0-0c07-11f1-b7e1-afb6d0884c18.jpg)\n- [Bridgerton actor told disability could hold her back - then Netflix came calling](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyxze4px30o)\n  \n  ![Gracie McGonigal has long auburn curly hair and wearing a red dress. She is wearing a prosthetic hand which is glittery and has black coloured fingers. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/8016\/live\/b533f4b0-17d5-11f1-a08c-c1f4358a7533.jpg)\n- [This iceberg was once the biggest in the world. Now it has just weeks left](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/resources\/idt-20f878f1-f4af-4022-9f62-b0515b9f4b20)\n  \n  ![A ship is seen in front of a massive iceberg.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/2f5d\/live\/974d5940-19c0-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.jpg)\n- [AI-generated Iran war videos surge as creators use new tech to cash in](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/ckg8wvz427vo)\n  \n  ![An image appearing to show a large explosion with a green \"AI-generated\" label](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/3e3b\/live\/ed517120-197d-11f1-b048-c9424b2cf5fd.png)\n\n## Elsewhere on the BBC\n- [The 1994 figure skating scandal that shocked the world](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/iplayer\/episode\/p08yrl5s?at_mid=Q1ubab1NED&at_campaign=Storyville_The_Price_of_Gold&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=b006mfx6&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Storyville_The_Price_of_Gold&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  ![Storyville: The Price of Gold](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/857e\/live\/6a444d90-0cd3-11f1-9972-d3f265c101c6.jpg)\n- [What's life like as a racing commentator?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sounds\/play\/m002s29n?at_mid=3J9suJQMid&at_campaign=Football_Daily_The_Commentators_View&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p02nrsln&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_bbc_team=BBC&at_creation=Football_Daily_The_Commentators_View)\n  \n  ![Football Daily: The Commentators' View](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e067\/live\/87bf6280-1979-11f1-b048-c9424b2cf5fd.jpg)\n- [Revisit the rise of the Peaky Blinders](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/iplayer\/episode\/p01fj94w\/peaky-blinders-series-1-episode-1?at_mid=hkjzCqTPOR&at_campaign=Peaky_Blinders&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=b045fz8r&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Peaky_Blinders&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  ![Peaky Blinders](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/85b3\/live\/00dec550-0d6a-11f1-9972-d3f265c101c6.jpg)\n- [Georgie Pai: The Triad boss who built a criminal empire](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sounds\/play\/p0n46b9r?at_mid=RVdZeRtrxH&at_campaign=Gangster_The_Story_of_Georgie_Pai&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=p09dj358&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Gangster_The_Story_of_Georgie_Pai&at_bbc_team=BBC)\n  \n  ![Gangster: The Story of Georgie Pai](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/480\/cpsprodpb\/178e\/live\/150de970-17ec-11f1-b048-c9424b2cf5fd.jpg)\n\n## Most read\n1. 1\n   \n   [Major disruption at Glasgow Central Station as firefighters tackle blaze](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cy8l2wx0027o)\n2. 2\n   \n   ['Shameful' pitch invasion by Celtic and Rangers fans condemned by police](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cy4w22znlyvo)\n3. 3\n   \n   [Starmer and Trump speak for first time since president's Iran criticism](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c05v28eqjyvo)\n4. 4\n   \n   ['Mind boggles' at doubts over legality of Iran war, Israeli president says](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyxp780xvro)\n5. 5\n   \n   [Mother in tears after £11,500 battery waste fine](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cp81pe1p393o)\n6. 6\n   \n   [Unanswered questions as search for Nancy Guthrie enters a new month](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cp32lwy4077o)\n7. 7\n   \n   [Teenage footballer dies during academy match](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c1jk22rd653o)\n8. 8\n   \n   [Dancers loved practising in this Singapore walkway. Then the complaints came](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4g4q9xl4p6o)\n9. 9\n   \n   ['Our children paid the ultimate price' – How the Dunblane school shooting changed Britain](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cp9m8zmxe25o)\n10. 10\n    \n    [Explosion at US embassy in Oslo may have been terrorism, Norway police say](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c5yjegg892lo)\n\n## BBC News Services\n- [On your mobile](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/10628994)\n- [On smart speakers](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/help-50068132)\n- [Get news alerts](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/10628323)\n- [Contact BBC News](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/20039682)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/business)\n- [Innovation](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/innovation)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/culture)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel)\n- [Earth](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future-planet)\n- [Audio](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/audio)\n- [Video](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/video)\n- [Live](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/live)\n\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/terms-of-use)\n- [About the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/aboutthebbc)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/pages\/privacy-policy)\n- [Cookies](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/usingthebbc\/cookies)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/accessibility)\n- [Parental Guidance](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\/guidance)\n- [Contact the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/contact)\n- [BBC emails for you](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bbcnewsletter)\n- [Advertise with us](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/advertisingcontact\/)\n- Do not share or sell my info\n\nCopyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [Read about our approach to external linking.](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/editorialguidelines\/guidance\/feeds-and-links)","attrs_readable_markdown":"**Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.**\n\nJournalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as \"quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers\".\n\nExplaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: \"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded.\"\n\nThe US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.\n\nEach of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.\n\nMr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity.\n\nAfter the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador.\n\nEcuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions.\n\nWith the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow.\n\nHe remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year.\n\nHis father, Lon, [visited him](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-24470942) in October.\n\nIn 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident.\n\nHis first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).\n\nDespite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks.\n\nBy 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva.\n\nMr Snowden told [the Guardian, external](http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk\/world\/2013\/jun\/09\/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance): \"Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.\"\n\nMr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach.\n\n\"\\[Mr Obama\\] continued with the policies of his predecessor,\" he said.\n\nAccording to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government.\n\nMr Snowden reportedly made two donations of \\$250 (£160) over the course of the campaign.\n\nHe left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen.\n\n[In a statement,, external](http:\/\/www.boozallen.com\/media-center\/press-releases\/48399320\/statement-reports-leaked-information-060913) the company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii.\n\n\"News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said.\n\nMr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence.\n\nHe was formally sacked on 11 June.\n\nMr Snowden was on a salary of \\$122,000 according to a statement from his employer.\n\nHe and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind.\n\nA neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and \"didn't really talk to anyone at all around here\".\n\nHis then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise.\n\n\"My world has opened and closed all at once,\" Lindsay Mills wrote. \"Leaving me lost at sea without a compass.\"","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/News\":741,\"\/News\/Politics\":584,\"\/News\/Politics\/Campaigns_and_Elections\":391,\"\/Law_and_Government\":289,\"\/Law_and_Government\/Legal\":244,\"\/People_and_Society\":142,\"\/Law_and_Government\/Legal\/Other\":124,\"\/People_and_Society\/Social_Issues_and_Advocacy\":103}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":986,\"\/Article\/News_Update\":829}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":999}","meta_language":"en-gb","attrs_author":null,"attrs_publish_time":1387195145,"attrs_original_publish_time":1387195145,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"1415","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"736","body_ext_links_number":23,"body_int_links_number":67,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":0,"props_was_rendered":1,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":177,"download_ttfb_msec":174,"download_size":53020}

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Profile: Edward Snowden - BBC News

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A profile of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked sensitive information about US surveillance programme and now lives in exile in Russia.

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Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence. Journalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as "quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers". Explaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." The US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Mr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity. After the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador. Ecuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions. With the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow. He remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year. His father, Lon, visited him in October. In 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident. His first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Despite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks. By 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva. Mr Snowden told the Guardian , external : "Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good." Mr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach. "[Mr Obama] continued with the policies of his predecessor," he said. According to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government. Mr Snowden reportedly made two donations of $250 (£160) over the course of the campaign. He left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen. In a statement, , external the company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii. "News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said. Mr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence. He was formally sacked on 11 June. Mr Snowden was on a salary of $122,000 according to a statement from his employer. He and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind. A neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and "didn't really talk to anyone at all around here". His then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise. "My world has opened and closed all at once," Lindsay Mills wrote. "Leaving me lost at sea without a compass."

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This video can not be played Media caption, Ed Snowden explains why he became a whistleblower (Video courtesy of The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras) **Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.** Journalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as "quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers". Explaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." The US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Mr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity. After the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador. Ecuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions. With the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow. He remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year. His father, Lon, [visited him](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24470942) in October. ## 'Disillusioned' Mr Snowden is reported to have grown up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and later moved to Maryland, near the headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Meade. Describing himself as a less-than-stellar student, he is said to have studied computing at a Maryland community college to get the necessary credits to obtain a high school diploma. However, he never finished the course. ![NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland (file image)](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/68071000/jpg/_68071994_018241350.jpg) Image caption, Mr Snowden spent some of his early years near the NSA HQ in Fort Meade In 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident. His first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Despite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks. By 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva. Mr Snowden told [the Guardian, external](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance): "Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good." Mr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach. "\[Mr Obama\] continued with the policies of his predecessor," he said. According to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government. ![Edward Snowden home, Hawaii, 9 June](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/304/mcs/media/images/68074000/jpg/_68074689_rew7l7ko.jpg) Image caption, Mr Snowden and his girlfriend reportedly moved out of their home in Hawaii on 1 May Mr Snowden reportedly made two donations of \$250 (£160) over the course of the campaign. He left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen. [In a statement,, external](http://www.boozallen.com/media-center/press-releases/48399320/statement-reports-leaked-information-060913) the company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii. "News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said. Mr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence. He was formally sacked on 11 June. Mr Snowden was on a salary of \$122,000 according to a statement from his employer. He and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind. A neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and "didn't really talk to anyone at all around here". His then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise. "My world has opened and closed all at once," Lindsay Mills wrote. "Leaving me lost at sea without a compass." ## More on this story - [US spy chief defends surveillance](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22809541) - [Obama defends mass surveillance](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22820711) - [US confirms phone records collection](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22793851) - [Just how much do the spooks know?](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-22811580) ## Top stories - [Live. Lebanon says nearly 400 killed in Israeli strikes as US confirms death of seventh service member](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cz0g2yg3579t) - ['Night turned into day': Iranians tell of strikes on oil depots](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clygpxq41l3o) - [In maps: Nine days of strikes across the Middle East](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0pnnj8xyo) ## More to explore - ['Our children paid the ultimate price' – How the Dunblane school shooting changed Britain](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9m8zmxe25o) ![A black and white photo of Gwen Mayor, a blonde-haired woman in a patterned dress, and her 28 pupils arranged in four rows of seven in a classroom. The children are in school uniform.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/385/cpsprodpb/3848/live/e1133140-1249-11f1-8b22-397efaf8a324.jpg) - [Spectacular images reveal unique sea creatures and corals off Caribbean islands](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmllk32g72o) ![A barreleye (Opisthoproctus soleatus) seen from above with bulbous eyes swims in the deep sea - there is a dark black background due to its depth](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/385/cpsprodpb/5c38/live/36d191f0-1978-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.jpg) - [Dancers loved practising in this Singapore walkway. 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Readable Markdown

**Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, now lives in Russia after fleeing the United States via Hong Kong in May, having revealed extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence.** Journalists who interviewed him at his secret location in Hong Kong described him as "quiet, smart, easy-going and self-effacing. A master on computers". Explaining why he decided to leave the US, he told the Guardian: "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." The US has charged Mr Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. Each of the charges carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. Mr Snowden, 30, had been living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, but left, initially for Hong Kong where, with his consent, the UK's Guardian newspaper revealed his identity. After the US filed charges and asked local authorities to extradite him, Mr Snowden left Hong Kong on 23 June, initially for Moscow, but with the intention of seeking asylum in Ecuador. Ecuador has said it could not consider Mr Snowden's asylum request until he had arrived in the Latin American country, or one of its diplomatic missions. With the knowledge that the US does have an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, Mr Snowden left on an Aeroflot flight to Moscow. He remained in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a month after the US revoked his travel documents. In August, he was given permission to enter Russia after he was offered asylum there for one year. His father, Lon, [visited him](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24470942) in October. In 2003, he joined the US Army and began training with the special forces, only to be discharged after breaking both his legs in a training accident. His first job with the NSA was as a security guard for one of the agency's secret facilities at the University of Maryland. He then worked on IT security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Despite his lack of formal qualifications, it is said that his computer wizardry allowed him to quickly rise through intelligence ranks. By 2007, he was given a CIA post with diplomatic cover in Geneva. Mr Snowden told [the Guardian, external](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance): "Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good." Mr Snowden said he had considered going public earlier, but waited to see whether President Barack Obama's election in 2008 would change the US approach. "\[Mr Obama\] continued with the policies of his predecessor," he said. According to campaign finance records, Mr Snowden gave money in 2012 to Republican presidential long-shot Ron Paul, who supports strictly curtailing the powers of government. Mr Snowden reportedly made two donations of \$250 (£160) over the course of the campaign. He left the CIA in 2009 and began working at the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including consulting giant Booz Allen. [In a statement,, external](http://www.boozallen.com/media-center/press-releases/48399320/statement-reports-leaked-information-060913) the company confirmed he had been an employee of the firm for less than three months, assigned to a team in Hawaii. "News reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information are shocking, and if accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm, it said. Mr Snowden admitted to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper that he took the job at Booz Allen because he wanted access to classified information to gather evidence. He was formally sacked on 11 June. Mr Snowden was on a salary of \$122,000 according to a statement from his employer. He and his girlfriend moved out of their home in Waipahu, West Oahu, Hawaii, on 1 May, estate agents said, leaving nothing behind. A neighbour told ABC that the couple usually kept the blinds and doors closed and "didn't really talk to anyone at all around here". His then-girlfriend, whose personal blog includes photos of her pole dancing, has said her partner's sudden disappearance caught her by surprise. "My world has opened and closed all at once," Lindsay Mills wrote. "Leaving me lost at sea without a compass."

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