“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. That is not something I am willing to support or live under.” —
Edward Snowden

Synopsis Born in North Carolina in 1983, Edward Snowden later worked for the National Security Agency through subcontractor Booz Allen in the organization’s Oahu office. During his time there, Snowden collected top-secret documents regarding NSA domestic surveillance practices that he found disturbing. After Snowden fled to Hong Kong, China and met with Guardian journalists, newspapers began printing the documents that he had leaked, many of them detailing the monitoring of American citizens.

The U.S. has charged Snowden with violations of the Espionage Act while many groups call him a hero. Snowden has found asylum in Russia and continues to speak about his work. A documentary on his story, Citzenfour, won an Oscar in 2015, with a 2016 biopic also in the pipeline.