CitizenFour Documentary Takeaways
This documentary shows a situation I was not originally familiar with, but it helped me better understand the role of both government contractors and the NSA in mass surveillance both in the U.S. and internationally. Biggest takeaways: - There is a very big difference between releasing classified information indiscriminately and doing so through journalists, and journalists have a surprising but encouraging level of protection from prosecution for cooperating with people who willingly committing treason in the U.S. when performing investigative journalism. Journalists were involved with redacting information that might have been especially harmful for the U.S., and they helped set a narrative that was more favorable to Edward Snowden. - Mass surveillance is and has been common in the U.S., but also in other allied countries. It is accomplished primarily through government contractors in the U.S., and companies who collect data may need to share it with the government. - Edward Sno...