BUENOS AIRES: Donald Trump's election as US president raises concern that Washington may increase the intrusiveness of domestic intelligence gathering, former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden said on Monday, warning that democratic checks and balances were losing ground to authoritarianism.
Snowden lives in Moscow under an asylum deal after he leaked classified information in 2013 that triggered an international furore over the reach of US spy operations. He spoke at a teleconference hosted by Buenos Aires University's law school.
"We are starting to substitute open government for sheer authoritarianism, a government based not upon the principle of informed consent granted by people who understand its activities but rather a trust in personalities, a trust in claims, a trust in the hope that they will do the right thing," Snowden said.
Washington pledged not to engage in indiscriminate espionage following Snowden's 2013 disclosures. But Snowden questioned if that policy could be modified by new officials "who have a very different set of values and can govern in the dark."
"If government does actually win our trust, because they go for some years and they do operate in a way that we should support, what happens when it changes?" he asked.
"This is kind of the challenge that we're facing today in the United States with the result of the last election."
Supporters see Snowden as a whistleblower who boldly exposed government excess. But the US government has filed espionage charges against him for leaking intelligence information.
Trump, who scored an upset win over Democrat Hillary Clinton in last Tuesday's election, broke with many in his own Republican Party during the campaign and emphasized his success as a businessman and reality TV show star. He promised sweeping security measures to deal with the threat of attacks on the United States.
His election was greeted with concern from the American Civil Liberties Union over statements he made during the campaign supporting increased surveillance of US Muslims, mass deportation of illegal immigrants, reauthorisation of waterboarding and changing libel laws to increase press restrictions.
Snowden, asked if he thought the election of Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader, might increase chances of him being pardoned by the US government, responded: "Who knows?"
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Snowden lives in Moscow under an asylum deal after he leaked classified information in 2013 that triggered an international furore over the reach of US spy operations. He spoke at a teleconference hosted by Buenos Aires University's law school.
"We are starting to substitute open government for sheer authoritarianism, a government based not upon the principle of informed consent granted by people who understand its activities but rather a trust in personalities, a trust in claims, a trust in the hope that they will do the right thing," Snowden said.
"If government does actually win our trust, because they go for some years and they do operate in a way that we should support, what happens when it changes?" he asked.
Advertisement
Supporters see Snowden as a whistleblower who boldly exposed government excess. But the US government has filed espionage charges against him for leaking intelligence information.
Advertisement
His election was greeted with concern from the American Civil Liberties Union over statements he made during the campaign supporting increased surveillance of US Muslims, mass deportation of illegal immigrants, reauthorisation of waterboarding and changing libel laws to increase press restrictions.
Advertisement
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Opinion: Opinion | Trump, Musk, And The Importance Of 'Exaggeration' In Storytelling JD Vance's Bestselling Tale From Rags To Riches Can Be His Political Tool Joe Biden Goes From Star To Sideshow At Democratic Convention Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan "Prove With Pics Crime Scene Intact": Court To Bengal Over Hospital Vandalism Gujarat PGCET 2024 Revised Admission Schedule Released, Check Details Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra Join Call For Justice In Kolkata Rape Case Sexual Assault Attempt On Coimbatore House Surgeon Sparks Protest Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.