Steven Petrov
The Paw Print
The name Edward Snowden continues to be at the center of media attention around the world since the former national security agent revealed highly classified information to the public last year.
Snowden alleged involvement of the NSA and other major U.S. agencies in eavesdropping and espionage on several European countries and companies. He was taken under the direct protection of the Russian government and is currently living within Russia.
Once information like the alleged tapping of the personal phone of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel were exposed, the US reaction was seemingly calm. The NSA maintains that these activities were done with one purpose –national security. However, this broad term and “everyone else is doing it” mentality does not sit well for many.
Edward Snowden revealed more information in front of the German television “ARD” last week, regarding the industrial espionage that Europe is put under by the US national security agencies. Big German companies like Volkswagen, Siemens, and others who are direct competitors of the US multinational corporations have been closely monitored throughout the last few years.
Snowden discussed the high level of eavesdropping and espionage that the NSA is practicing, and that if there is any kind of information regarding the U.S. business or political world that is important to American interests, then the NSA will find it no matter what. Throughout his statement, Snowden spent time focusing on examples pertinent to the Germans based out of Munich, Berlin, and the Erlangen Company Siemens.
This most recent statement made by the former NSA agent, overlaps with the information that The New York Times published a couple weeks ago, regarding the special espionage software that the NSA has integrated more than 100,000 computers in companies around the world, allowing them to get any information they need out of these computers on demand.
This allegedly creates an opportunity for the U.S. to dominate cyber control, with the threat of further expansion. Snowden mentioned again that revealing the highly classified information may eventually lead to his assassination by the directors of the referenced agencies.
The former NSA agent made clear in his statement that he does not have any more documents or classified files with him, and that he has already turned them in to the media and does not have any control over future publications. The situation is of parallel importance both economically and politically, as media outlets continue to flesh out the full weight of the whistle-blower’s actions.
What’s Been Said…