Edward Snowden: 'I am famously paranoid'
In a rare interview, whistleblower says he assumed being taken seriously 'would be a challenge'
WHISTLEBLOWER Edward Snowden has revealed he is “famously paranoid” in one of the few interviews he has given since fleeing America.
The former NSA contractor has made his revelations about the US government's pervasive surveillance techniques via documentary-maker Laura Poitras and The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald.
But in a rare interview, with investigative journalist Peter Maass, published in the New York Times today, Snowden admits he did not expect the journalists to take him seriously at first.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“I know journalists are busy and had assumed being taken seriously would be a challenge, especially given the paucity of detail I could initially offer,” he says.
In fact, Greenwald initially ignored Snowden's messages, finding the encryption software the whistleblower asked him to download “annoying and complicated”.
Snowden says he was surprised that there were people in news organisations who did not know that “any unencrypted message sent over the internet is being delivered to every intelligence service in the world”.
He turned instead to Poitras, who was working on a documentary about surveillance. She followed his instructions to create a secure system for them to communicate and within six months she and Greenwald were on a plane to Hong Kong to collect thousands of classified surveillance documents.
When they met, 30-year-old Snowden says he had the impression the journalists were “annoyed” that he was younger than they might have expected.
But he says as soon as they were behind closed doors both parties were reassured by an “obsessive attention to precaution and bona fides”. Snowden adds that he was “particularly impressed by Greenwald's ability to operate without sleep for days at a time”.
Asked when he realised he could trust Poitras, Snowden replies: “We came to a point in the verification and vetting process where I discovered Laura was more suspicious of me than I was of her, and I’m famously paranoid.”
This is underlined by the way Maass carried out his interview. Few journalists have access to Snowden, who has only recently secured temporary asylum in Russia. Maass had to hold an encrypted question-and-answer session with Snowden via Poitras.
Unusually for someone so paranoid, Snowden has been allowing Poitras to film him as part of her documentary, something he admits most spies would “allergically avoid”.
He explains: “The weight of the situation actually made it easier to focus on what was in the public interest rather than our own. I think we all knew there was no going back once she turned that camera on, and the ultimate outcome would be decided by the world.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Indie film's 'very brief' use of AI sparks backlash and calls for boycotts
Talking Points Did the creators of a new horror movie make a deal with the artificial intelligence devil?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Could Taylor Swift swing the election?
Today's Big Question The pop star has outsized influence — and that extends beyond the music industry
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine's unconventional approach to reconstruction
Under the radar Digitally savvy nation uses popular app to file compensation claims, access funds and rebuild destroyed homes
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Ukraine's leadership reset work?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy hints at ousting of popular military chief, but risks backlash amid dwindling munitions, delayed funding and Russian bombardment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Imran Khan sentenced to 10 years: how powerful is Pakistan's military?
Today's Big Question The country's armed forces ignore country's economic woes, control its institutions and, critics say, engineer election results
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Iran's endgame?
Today's Big Question Tehran seeks to supplant US and Saudi Arabia as dominant power in Middle East while forcing Israel to end Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostages
Speed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Nato official warns of all-out war with Russia in next 20 years
Speed Read Civilians must prepare for life-changing conflict and mass mobilisation, says military chief
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv to announce £2.5 billion in military support for Ukraine
Speed Read Surprise trip comes amid increased Russian bombardment and escalation of Middle East crisis
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How Islamic State bombings in Iran could escalate regional war
The Explainer Terrorist group claims responsibility for deadly blasts on 'irredeemable foe' but Tehran likely to ramp up anti-US rhetoric
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published