What Is Edward Snowden Unethical

The controversy surrounding Edward Snowden has been one of the most controversial whistleblowing stories regarding the United States. Snowden is a former technical contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, therefore he had access to a numerous amount of classified information. Working primarily with Glenn Greenwald, Snowden sent various government documents containing classified information. The top secret information that was leaked involved several ongoing mass surveillance programs of the United States government. These leaked documents exposed plans to seize and record all US and European telephone metadata as well as information from internet surveillance programs such as PRISM and Tempora. Consequently, this situation provoked many ethical dilemmas to surface. In this memo I will argue whether Edward Snowden

should be praised as a national hero or be persecuted as a narcissistic traitor using the rights approach.
People often think that as United State citizens, we are morally obligated to expose any serious and illegal activity committed by an organization, especially when it threatens or puts the public interest at risk.

However, to an increasing extent we are witnessing whistleblowers being punished more harshly than the alleged criminals, who too often are released without further retribution. With harsh retaliation being a possibility, how should Americans understand their moral duty to be honest and publicize wrongdoing?

In the past, whistleblowers had been destroyed by the experience, and Snowden simply wanted to encourage others to step forward by demonstrating that they can win. The primary duty is to respect the rights of others while ensuring that our rights are protected and respected. Our rights as American citizens are natural, universal, equal, and inalienable. Edward Snowden stated that the human right to privacy is inherent, therefore he felt morally obligated to come clean about the agency’s surveillance programs, leading him to release sensitive documents through journalist Glenn

Greenwald.
With freedom of the press, there is always a risk. However, if I was in Snowden’s position at the time I would have taken the same action. The government has developed an astonishing amount of investigative power throughout the years. They are now capable of looking up information in a database, as long as there is any kind of justification for a search, thus leading it to be embedded into the culture of the government. “You have to report wrongdoing to those most irrepressible for it” (Snowden, 2013). There is no saving an intelligent community that believes it can lie to an entire nation who need to be able to trust it. The public has the right to know about these programs; I too would have released those confidential documents making myself a whistleblower for the safety of my country.
Snowden’s disclosures were beneficial and a true constitutional moment. "Edward Snowden has done more for our Constitution in terms of the Fourth and First Amendment than anyone else I know” (Ellsberg, 2014). Leaking top secret information turned out to be helpful and served the public interest. When a person reveals confidential information about government officials deliberately breaking the law, that person should not be prosecuted nor face life in prison under that same government. Edward Snowden is a patriotic hero not a narcissistic traitor.