Edward Snowden Talked about How Cellphones are Killing Privacy and Trump

Edward Snowden Update: 4 Facts You Need to Know

Snowden also expressed concerns about the information cell phones are collecting and distributing, arguing that the devices are destroying individual privacy.

1. Government is Using the Same Method to Access Cell Phones as Criminal Hackers:

He warned that governments are increasingly using the same methods and techniques to access cell phones as criminal hackers.

“Anything you can do on that device, the attacker ⁠— in this case, the government ⁠— can do,” Snowden claimed. 

“They can read your e-mail, they can collect every document, they can look at your contact book, they can turn the location services on.”

“They can see anything that is on that phone instantly,” he continued, “and send it back home to the mothership.”

2. Cell Phones Are Using Metadata and Algorithms to Track People’s Daily Lives:

Snowden also warned that digital devices like cell phones are using metadata and algorithms to track people’s daily lives and that the information can be collected, intercepted, and used by both companies and governments alike.

“They’re selling our future,” Snowden said. 

“They’re selling our past, they’re selling our history our identity and, ultimately, they are stealing our power and making our stories work for them.”

3. Edward Snowden's New Memoir, "Permanent Record"

Edward Snowden's New Memoir, "Permanent Record", in the book, Snowden writes about his work for the NSA and CIA and details his contributions to secret systems of mass surveillance of citizens in America and the rest of the world. 

Snowden also describes his crisis of conscience that ensued, which lead him to whistleblow on the agency.

"Everything that we do now lasts forever. Not because we want to remember, but because we're no longer allowed to forget," Snowden said in a video announcing the book. "Helping to create that system is my greatest regret."

4. Trump is “actually quite simple to understand.”

Asked about Donald Trump, he said the chaos that characterizes the Trump era is tied to the “aggressive and offensive things” Trump says. 

Snowden added that he believes Trump is “actually quite simple to understand.”

Snowden said he believes the president is simply hoping people will like him. “Unfortunately,” he added after a brief pause, “that produces a lot of negative effects.”