Mass surveillance

Snowden Criticizes Russian Surveillance of Citizens

Former NSA contractor and spy-secrets leaker Edward Snowden says government surveillance of private citizens has worsened around the globe – including in Russia, where he's been living for three years.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the former NSA contractor complains Russia has "gone very far, in ways that are completely unnecessary, costly and corrosive to individual and collective rights" of its citizens.

"The laws have gotten worse in some countries," he tells FT. "France has gone very far, so too, of course, countries like Russia, China. In Britain there’s an authoritarian trend."

Snowden has unapologetically tweeted his criticism of Russia's policies under President Vladimir Putin — especially the passage of legislation that gives the Kremlin broad powers in the name of national security, FT reports.