Some might say I don t care if they violate my privacy; I ve got nothing to hide. Help them understand that they are misunderstanding the fundamental nature of human rights. Nobody needs to justify why they need a right: the burden of justification falls on the one seeking to infringe upon the right. But even if they did, you can t give away the rights of others because they re not useful to you. More simply, the majority cannot vote away the natural rights of the minority.
— Edward Snowden, former government tech contractor, in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Thursday. It s been about two years since Snowden leaked documents that revealed mass NSA spying. Since then, reports based on the documents have exposed various legally questionable surveillance programs and tactics employed by the U.S. and other governments. A couple of weeks ago, a court ruled that the NSA s bulk collection of Americans phone records is illegal.
Snowden also commented on the filibuster in the Senate led by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., this week. As Troy Wolverton wrote yesterday, Paul was blocking efforts to renew the Patriot Act — its Section 215 has been used as justification for the bulk collection of phone records — without revisions. Politico notes that key parts of the Patriot Act are set to expire next week but it looks like Congress won t take action in time.
Paul s filibuster represents a sea change from a few years ago, when intrusive new surveillance laws were passed without any kind of meaningful opposition or debate, Snowden wrote. Whatever you think about Rand Paul or his politics, it s important to remember that when he took the floor to say no to any length of reauthorization of the Patriot Act, he was speaking for the majority of Americans — more than 60% of whom want to see this kind of mass surveillance reformed or ended.
Photo of Edward Snowden by AFP/Getty Images
