14 DAY TRIAL // Now that the world knows the human rights of freedom and privacy have been broken by the NSA for millions of Internet and cell phone users, the answer most people want to get is who will pay for all these actions.
Edward Snowden practically scoffs when asked who will be brought before a court over this matter, in an interview published in Der Spiegel.
“Before U.S. courts? You're not serious, are you? When the last large wiretapping scandal was investigated - the interception without a court order, which concerned millions of communications - that should really have led to the longest prison sentences in world history. However, then our highest representatives simply stopped the investigation,” the man behind the NSA leaks said.
He mentions that such a question is theoretical if the laws are not respected, as is the case here. “Laws are meant for people like you or me – but not for them.”
Snowden says that the NSA’s job, according to the law, is to be aware of anything of importance going on outside of the United States.
“This is a considerable task, and the people there are convinced that not knowing everything about everyone could lead to some existential crisis,” the 30-year-old said.
He thinks that the situation degenerated when people inside the agency started to believe they had the right to bend the rules a little. And bending the rules soon led to breaking them, as is the case with the surveillance programs run by the American agency.
Edward Snowden has revealed the NSA spying programs a little over a month ago and has since been on the run from American authorities. Every once in a while, he leaked out a new document that set the press on fire and surely created a little chaos inside the American government offices, as well as at the NSA.
The interview published in Der Spiegel was made before last month's disclosures.