Quotes from Edward Snowden's book that teach us about freedom

“Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

“Study after study has show that human behavior changes when we know we’re being watched. Under observation, we act less free, which means we effectively are less free.”

“These programs were never about terrorism: they're about economic spying, social control, and diplomatic manipulation. They're about power.”

“Ultimately, if people lose their willingness to recognize that there are times in our history when legality becomes distinct from morality, we aren't just ceding control of our rights to government, but our agency in determining our futures.”

“The government should be afraid of the people, the people shouldn't be afraid of the government.”

“We'd do well to remember that at the end of the day, the law doesn't defend us; we defend the law. And when it becomes contrary to our morals, we have both the right and the responsibility to rebalance it toward just ends.”

" To refuse to inform yourself about the basic operation and maintenance of the equipment you depended on was to passively accept that tyranny and agree to its terms"

“Peering at life through a window can ultimately abstract us from our actions and limit any meaningful confrontation with their consequences.”

“I was reminded of what is perhaps the fundamental rule of technological progress: if something can be done, it probably will be done, and possibly already has been.”

“You shouldn’t change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing. If we sacrifice our values because we’re afraid, we don’t care about those values very much.”