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External Websites - [BBC - The Documentary Podcast - An Interview with Edward Snowden](https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p035158f) - [NPR - Edward Snowden Speaks Out: 'I Haven't And I Won't' Cooperate With Russia](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/761918152/exiled-nsa-contractor-edward-snowden-i-haven-t-and-i-won-t-cooperate-with-russia) - [Teach Democracy - Edward Snowden, The NSA, and Mass Surveillance (PDF)](https://teachdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/snowden_nsa.pdf) - [CNN - Edward SnowdenÂ’s interview: 10 things we learned](https://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/29/us/edward-snowden-interview-10-things) - [Right Livelihood Award - Edward Snowden](https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/edward-snowden/) - [ABC listen - Edward Snowden](https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/edward-snowden-_-on-mass-surveilance/6464576) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [Edward Snowden - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Edward-Snowden/604816) [](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/196551-050-0922C720/Edward-Snowden-2013.jpg) [Edward Snowden](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/196551-050-0922C720/Edward-Snowden-2013.jpg) Edward Snowden, 2013. (more) # Edward Snowden American intelligence contractor Ask Anything Quick Summary Homework Help Also known as: Edward Joseph Snowden Written by [Michael Ray Michael Ray is an assistant managing editor who has worked at Britannica since 2003. In addition to leading the Geography and History team, he oversees coverage of European history and military affairs....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Michael-Ray/6392) Michael Ray Fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 2, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Snowden/additional-info#history)  Britannica AI Ask Anything Quick Summary Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask Anything Top Questions - Who is Edward Snowden? - What job did Edward Snowden have before becoming well-known? - What did Edward Snowden reveal to the public? - Why did Snowden's actions cause a lot of debate and controversy? - How did different governments react to Snowden's disclosures? - What is Edward Snowden's situation today, and how have his actions influenced discussions about privacy and security? Show more Show less **Edward Snowden** (born June 21, 1983, [Elizabeth City](https://www.britannica.com/place/Elizabeth-City), [North Carolina](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state), U.S.) is an American [intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/intelligence-international-relations) contractor and [whistleblower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/whistleblower) who in 2013 revealed the existence of secret wide-ranging information-gathering programs conducted by the [National Security Agency](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Security-Agency) (NSA). The case highlighted a host of issues, including the secret use of government power, privacy in the digital age, the [ethics](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethics) of whistleblowing, and the role that the [Internet](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Internet) and anonymous browsers on the [dark web](https://www.britannica.com/technology/dark-web) such as [Tor](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Tor-encryption-network) can play in [facilitating](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitating) such whistleblowing. Snowden was born in North Carolina, and his family moved to central [Maryland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Maryland-state), a short distance from NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, when he was a child. He dropped out of [high school](https://www.britannica.com/topic/high-school) and studied intermittently between 1999 and 2005 at a [community](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community) college; he completed a GED but did not receive a college degree. He enlisted in the army reserve as a [special forces](https://www.britannica.com/topic/special-operations-warfare) candidate in May 2004, but he was discharged four months later. In 2005 he worked as a security guard at the Center for Advanced Study of Language, a [University of Maryland](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Maryland) research facility [affiliated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliated) with the NSA. Despite a relative lack of formal education and training, Snowden demonstrated an aptitude with computers, and he was hired by the [Central Intelligence Agency](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Central-Intelligence-Agency) in 2006. He was given a top secret clearance and in 2007 was posted to [Geneva](https://www.britannica.com/place/Geneva-Switzerland), where he worked as a network security technician under a diplomatic cover. Snowden left the CIA for the NSA in 2009. There he worked as a private contractor for the companies [Dell](https://www.britannica.com/money/Dell-Inc) and Booz Allen Hamilton. During this time, he began gathering information on a number of NSA activities—most notably, secret [surveillance](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surveillance) programs that he believed were overly broad in size and scope. In May 2013 Snowden requested a medical leave of absence and flew to [Hong Kong](https://www.britannica.com/place/Hong-Kong), where during the following month he conducted a series of interviews with journalists from the newspaper [*The Guardian*](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Guardian-British-newspaper). Footage filmed during that period was featured in the documentary *Citizenfour* (2014). Among the NSA secrets leaked by Snowden was a [court order](https://www.britannica.com/topic/injunction) that compelled telecommunications company Verizon to turn over metadata (such as numbers dialed and duration of calls) for millions of its subscribers. Snowden also disclosed the existence of PRISM, a data-mining program that reportedly gave the NSA, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federal-Bureau-of-Investigation), and the Government Communications Headquarters—Britain’s NSA equivalent—“direct access” to the servers of such Internet giants as [Google](https://www.britannica.com/money/Google-Inc), [Facebook](https://www.britannica.com/money/Facebook), [Microsoft](https://www.britannica.com/money/Microsoft-Corporation), and [Apple](https://www.britannica.com/money/Apple-Inc). On June 9, 2013, days after stories were initially published in *The Guardian* and [*The Washington Post*](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Washington-Post) without revealing the identity of their source, Snowden came forward, stating that he felt no need to hide because he had [done](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/done) nothing wrong. In a subsequent interview with the *South China Morning Post*, he claimed that the NSA had been [hacking](https://www.britannica.com/topic/cybercrime) into Chinese computers since 2009 and that he had taken a job with Booz Allen Hamilton expressly to obtain information about secret NSA activities. The U.S. charged Snowden with [espionage](https://www.britannica.com/topic/espionage) on June 14, and [Justice Department](https://www.britannica.com/topic/US-Department-of-Justice) officials, including Attorney General [Eric Holder](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eric-Holder), began negotiating with authorities in Hong Kong in an attempt to initiate [extradition](https://www.britannica.com/topic/extradition) procedures. The Hong Kong government declined to act, and Snowden, with the assistance of the media organization [WikiLeaks](https://www.britannica.com/topic/WikiLeaks), flew to [Moscow](https://www.britannica.com/place/Moscow), where his exact whereabouts became the source of intense speculation. Russian Pres. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Putin) confirmed that Snowden, whose passport had been [revoked](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/revoked) by the U.S., remained within the confines of the international transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Putin resolutely stated that [Russia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia) would take no part in his extradition to the United States, and Snowden applied for [asylum](https://www.britannica.com/topic/asylum) in some 20 countries, including Russia. Putin also made clear that he did not wish for Snowden’s presence to damage relations with the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), and he said that if Snowden wished to remain in Russia, “he must stop his work aimed at bringing harm to our American partners.” After having spent more than a month in the Sheremetyevo transit zone, Snowden was granted temporary refugee status by Russia, and he left the airport in the company of a WikiLeaks staffer. Although U.S. Pres. [Barack Obama](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barack-Obama) was critical of Snowden’s methods, in August 2013 he announced the creation of an independent panel to examine the U.S. government’s surveillance practices. That panel’s findings, published in December 2013, recommended that the mass collection of telephone records be suspended and advised greater oversight of sensitive programs, such as those targeting friendly foreign leaders. Obama acted on a number of these suggestions and recommended congressional review of others, but the role of the NSA and its data-collection efforts remained a bone of [contention](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contention) between the intelligence community and privacy advocates. In April 2014 *The Guardian U.S.* and *The Washington Post* were awarded the [Pulitzer Prize](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pulitzer-Prize) for public service for their roles in reporting on the NSA leaks. Snowden characterized the award as “a vindication” of his efforts to bring the secret surveillance programs to light. In August 2014, as Snowden’s grant of temporary asylum expired, the Russian government awarded him a three-year residence permit (effective August 1), which would allow him to leave the country for up to three months. The permit was extended in 2017, and Snowden was granted permanent residency in 2020. In September 2022 Russian Pres. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Putin) granted Snowden Russian citizenship. Quick Facts In full: Edward Joseph Snowden *(Show more)* Born: June 21, 1983, [Elizabeth City](https://www.britannica.com/place/Elizabeth-City), [North Carolina](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state), U.S. (age 42) *(Show more)* Notable Works: [“Permanent Record”](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Permanent-Record) *(Show more)* Subjects Of Study: [PRISM](https://www.britannica.com/topic/PRISM-United-States-surveillance-program) *(Show more)* On the Web: [CNN - Edward SnowdenÂ’s interview: 10 things we learned](https://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/29/us/edward-snowden-interview-10-things) (Apr. 02, 2026) *(Show more)* [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Edward-Snowden) Explore Britannica Premium\! Trusted knowledge for those who want to know more. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=shorter-2026)    In September 2019 Snowden released the [memoir](https://www.britannica.com/topic/memoir-historical-genre) *Permanent Record*. On the same day, the U.S. [Justice](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Justice) Department sued him to recover all of his earnings from the book, claiming that he had violated his nondisclosure agreements with the CIA and NSA by not submitting the work to them for a prepublication review. [Michael Ray](https://www.britannica.com/editor/Michael-Ray/6392) [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419)

Top Questions - Who is Edward Snowden? - What job did Edward Snowden have before becoming well-known? - What did Edward Snowden reveal to the public? - Why did Snowden's actions cause a lot of debate and controversy? - How did different governments react to Snowden's disclosures? - What is Edward Snowden's situation today, and how have his actions influenced discussions about privacy and security? **Edward Snowden** (born June 21, 1983, [Elizabeth City](https://www.britannica.com/place/Elizabeth-City), [North Carolina](https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Carolina-state), U.S.) is an American [intelligence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/intelligence-international-relations) contractor and [whistleblower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/whistleblower) who in 2013 revealed the existence of secret wide-ranging information-gathering programs conducted by the [National Security Agency](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Security-Agency) (NSA). The case highlighted a host of issues, including the secret use of government power, privacy in the digital age, the [ethics](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethics) of whistleblowing, and the role that the [Internet](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Internet) and anonymous browsers on the [dark web](https://www.britannica.com/technology/dark-web) such as [Tor](https://www.britannica.com/technology/Tor-encryption-network) can play in [facilitating](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitating) such whistleblowing. Snowden was born in North Carolina, and his family moved to central [Maryland](https://www.britannica.com/place/Maryland-state), a short distance from NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, when he was a child. He dropped out of [high school](https://www.britannica.com/topic/high-school) and studied intermittently between 1999 and 2005 at a [community](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community) college; he completed a GED but did not receive a college degree. He enlisted in the army reserve as a [special forces](https://www.britannica.com/topic/special-operations-warfare) candidate in May 2004, but he was discharged four months later. In 2005 he worked as a security guard at the Center for Advanced Study of Language, a [University of Maryland](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Maryland) research facility [affiliated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affiliated) with the NSA. Despite a relative lack of formal education and training, Snowden demonstrated an aptitude with computers, and he was hired by the [Central Intelligence Agency](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Central-Intelligence-Agency) in 2006. He was given a top secret clearance and in 2007 was posted to [Geneva](https://www.britannica.com/place/Geneva-Switzerland), where he worked as a network security technician under a diplomatic cover. Snowden left the CIA for the NSA in 2009. There he worked as a private contractor for the companies [Dell](https://www.britannica.com/money/Dell-Inc) and Booz Allen Hamilton. During this time, he began gathering information on a number of NSA activities—most notably, secret [surveillance](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surveillance) programs that he believed were overly broad in size and scope. In May 2013 Snowden requested a medical leave of absence and flew to [Hong Kong](https://www.britannica.com/place/Hong-Kong), where during the following month he conducted a series of interviews with journalists from the newspaper [*The Guardian*](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Guardian-British-newspaper). Footage filmed during that period was featured in the documentary *Citizenfour* (2014). Among the NSA secrets leaked by Snowden was a [court order](https://www.britannica.com/topic/injunction) that compelled telecommunications company Verizon to turn over metadata (such as numbers dialed and duration of calls) for millions of its subscribers. Snowden also disclosed the existence of PRISM, a data-mining program that reportedly gave the NSA, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federal-Bureau-of-Investigation), and the Government Communications Headquarters—Britain’s NSA equivalent—“direct access” to the servers of such Internet giants as [Google](https://www.britannica.com/money/Google-Inc), [Facebook](https://www.britannica.com/money/Facebook), [Microsoft](https://www.britannica.com/money/Microsoft-Corporation), and [Apple](https://www.britannica.com/money/Apple-Inc). On June 9, 2013, days after stories were initially published in *The Guardian* and [*The Washington Post*](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Washington-Post) without revealing the identity of their source, Snowden came forward, stating that he felt no need to hide because he had [done](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/done) nothing wrong. In a subsequent interview with the *South China Morning Post*, he claimed that the NSA had been [hacking](https://www.britannica.com/topic/cybercrime) into Chinese computers since 2009 and that he had taken a job with Booz Allen Hamilton expressly to obtain information about secret NSA activities. The U.S. charged Snowden with [espionage](https://www.britannica.com/topic/espionage) on June 14, and [Justice Department](https://www.britannica.com/topic/US-Department-of-Justice) officials, including Attorney General [Eric Holder](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eric-Holder), began negotiating with authorities in Hong Kong in an attempt to initiate [extradition](https://www.britannica.com/topic/extradition) procedures. The Hong Kong government declined to act, and Snowden, with the assistance of the media organization [WikiLeaks](https://www.britannica.com/topic/WikiLeaks), flew to [Moscow](https://www.britannica.com/place/Moscow), where his exact whereabouts became the source of intense speculation. Russian Pres. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Putin) confirmed that Snowden, whose passport had been [revoked](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/revoked) by the U.S., remained within the confines of the international transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Putin resolutely stated that [Russia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia) would take no part in his extradition to the United States, and Snowden applied for [asylum](https://www.britannica.com/topic/asylum) in some 20 countries, including Russia. Putin also made clear that he did not wish for Snowden’s presence to damage relations with the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), and he said that if Snowden wished to remain in Russia, “he must stop his work aimed at bringing harm to our American partners.” After having spent more than a month in the Sheremetyevo transit zone, Snowden was granted temporary refugee status by Russia, and he left the airport in the company of a WikiLeaks staffer. Although U.S. Pres. [Barack Obama](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barack-Obama) was critical of Snowden’s methods, in August 2013 he announced the creation of an independent panel to examine the U.S. government’s surveillance practices. That panel’s findings, published in December 2013, recommended that the mass collection of telephone records be suspended and advised greater oversight of sensitive programs, such as those targeting friendly foreign leaders. Obama acted on a number of these suggestions and recommended congressional review of others, but the role of the NSA and its data-collection efforts remained a bone of [contention](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contention) between the intelligence community and privacy advocates. In April 2014 *The Guardian U.S.* and *The Washington Post* were awarded the [Pulitzer Prize](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pulitzer-Prize) for public service for their roles in reporting on the NSA leaks. Snowden characterized the award as “a vindication” of his efforts to bring the secret surveillance programs to light. In August 2014, as Snowden’s grant of temporary asylum expired, the Russian government awarded him a three-year residence permit (effective August 1), which would allow him to leave the country for up to three months. The permit was extended in 2017, and Snowden was granted permanent residency in 2020. In September 2022 Russian Pres. [Vladimir Putin](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vladimir-Putin) granted Snowden Russian citizenship. Quick Facts In full: Edward Joseph Snowden Trusted knowledge for those who want to know more. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=shorter-2026)    In September 2019 Snowden released the [memoir](https://www.britannica.com/topic/memoir-historical-genre) *Permanent Record*. On the same day, the U.S. [Justice](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Justice) Department sued him to recover all of his earnings from the book, claiming that he had violated his nondisclosure agreements with the CIA and NSA by not submitting the work to them for a prepublication review.