Edward Snowden set the world on fire when he violated National Security Agency (NSA) rules and federal law to expose the shockingly intrusive surveillance programs spearheaded by the U.S. government. On Monday at 12 p.m. EST, Snowden will speak at South By Southwest (SXSW) via video call from Russia.
Snowden will speak with Christopher Soghoian, the principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, who works on the organization's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project. Snowden's legal adviser, Ben Wizner, who is also the director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, will moderate the conversation.
The conversation will be geared toward the tech community and Snowden is expected to advocate for government reform of the NSA surveillance program, while simultaneously encouraging the tech industry to stand up against spying.
"The conversation will be focused on the impact of the NSA's spying efforts on the technology community and the ways in which technology can help to protect us from mass surveillance," an SXSW news release says.
Snowden's speech certainly won't be scripted or restricted in any way, though. Once the conversation has run its course, Snowden will answer questions posed by the audience. Many attendees of SXSW are very excited about the prospect of finally hearing Snowden speak out after months in exile with little to no communication with the media.
Snowden was forced into exile, after the U.S. government slammed him with felony charges of espionage and theft of government property. He is unable to touch U.S. soil without putting himself at great risk. As such, Snowden has worked hard to keep a low profile in Moscow, Russia where he lives in exile. His speech at SXSW will mark his first real public appearance in months.
"We decided it was time for him to start speaking a little bit more and reintroducing himself," says Wizner. "This is the way exile can be mitigated. He may not be able to be here in person but his voice can be here."
Wizner says that Snowden chose SXSW for his reappearance because his goal is not to talk about what he eats for breakfast or where he now works - questions the mainstream media would be wont to ask - but rather to "talk about the issues. It's a call to arms."
When asked about whether Snowden will endanger himself by video conferencing at SXSW, Wizner responded that Snowden is "awfully good at security," and knows how to limit the likelihood that he gets tracked down over the Internet. He was a security specialist for the NSA, after all.
Those who are interested to hear and see Snowden speak at SXSW can view the live video stream on the Texas Tribune website or on the ACLU's page.
