No system of mass surveillance has existed in any society that we know of to this point that has not been abused.

- Edward Snowden

No one would argue that it's in the United States' interest to have independent knowledge of the plans and intentions of foreign countries. But we need to think about where to draw the line on these kind of operations so we're not always attacking our allies, the people we trust, the people we need to rely on, and to have them in turn rely on us.

- Edward Snowden

We're losing our way as a society. If we don't stand up, if we don't say what we think those rights should be, and if we don't protect them, we will very soon find out that we do not have them.

- Edward Snowden

You can't come forward against the world's most powerful intelligence agencies and be completely free from risk.

- Edward Snowden

That's the beauty of the Internet is that we're no longer tied to our communities by physical connections.

- Edward Snowden

What the government wants is something they never had before. They want total awareness. The question is, is that something we should be allowing?

- Edward Snowden

I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building.

- Edward Snowden

I wanted to fight in the Iraq war because I felt like I had an obligation as a human being to help free people from oppression.

- Edward Snowden

Being a patriot doesn't mean prioritizing service to government above all else. Being a patriot means knowing when to protect your country, knowing when to protect your Constitution, knowing when to protect your countrymen, from the violations of and encroachments of adversaries. And those adversaries don't have to be foreign countries.

- Edward Snowden

There can be no faith in government if our highest offices are excused from scrutiny - they should be setting the example of transparency.

- Edward Snowden