Whistleblower Edward Snowden beamed in from Russia to speak with attendees at the South by Southwest festival in Austin on Monday. It was his first live conversation since he disclosed thousands of classified documents to media outlets in June 2013.

Snowden, who is living in political asylum at an undisclosed location in Russia, spoke with Ben Weisner and Christopher Soghoian of the American Civil Liberties Union. Weisner, the ACLU's director of Speech, Privacy and Technology Program, and Soghoian, ACLU's principal technologist, spoke to a packed auditorium. The audience was so large that it spilled over into additional rooms in the Austin Convention Center.

When asked why he chose to speak to a technology audience rather than a policy audience, Snowden replied, "I would say SXSW and the technology community and people who are in the room in Austin right now, they're the folks who can really fix things and can enforce our rights through technical standards."

He went on to describe that the National Security Administration's surveillance has created an adversarial Internet. "It's not what we asked for. It's not what we want," he added. "There's a policy response that needs to occur. There's also a technical response that needs to occur."

SXSW REVIEW: 'Chef'

Snowden spent most of the hour-long conversation discussiong how technology companies can improve security for their users by improving their encryption technologies. Ironically, the conversation was hosted through Google's conference calling software Hangouts.

"The irony that we're using Google Hangouts to talk to Ed Snowden has not been lost on me or our team here," said Soghoian. "The fact is that the tools that exist to enable secure end-to-end, encrypted video conferencing are not very polished, particularly when you're having a conversation with someone who's in Russia and is bouncing his connection through several proxies, the secure communications tools tend to break."

Not everyone wanted to see Snowden speak in Austin. Congressman Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, wrote an open letter to SXSW organizers asking them to cut the conversation from its schedule.

"Mr. Snowden's appearance would stamp the imprimatur of your fine organization on a man who ill deserves such accolades," he wrote. "Rewarding Mr. Snowden's behavior in this way encourages the very lawlessness he exhibited."

The conversation with Snowden, which was occasionally buggy because of his efforts to secure the conversation, was live streamed through the Texas Tribune. The full interview will be available to watch on the ACLU website.

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SXSW: Edward Snowden Tells Tech Community It Can 'Enforce Our Rights' (Video)

USA: Whistleblower Edward Snowden #39;s mother holds her silence in Maryland
1. W/S Edward Snowden #39;s mother #39;s house 2. M/S Wendy Snowden #39;s house 3. W/S Wendy Snowden #39;s house 4. M/S Wendy Snowden #39;s welcome sign 5. C/U Edward Snowden #39;s ...

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USA: Whistleblower Edward Snowden's mother holds her silence in Maryland - Video

Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has joined a phone-in with Russian President Vladimir Putin, quizzing him over the extent of Moscow's surveillance activities.

Putin, a former KGB agent, greeted Snowden as a fellow 'former agent' before assuring him that Russia's surveillance of the population was not on a mass scale and strictly controlled by laws.

Snowden, a 30-year-old former United States National Security Agency contractor, was granted asylum by Russia last August after shaking the American intelligence establishment to its core with a series of devastating leaks on mass surveillance in the US and around the world.

His location has been kept strictly secret ever since.

Russians were able to submit video questions to Putin using cell phone apps.

Snowden spoke against a dark background giving no clue to his location, wearing a dark suit jacket and grey shirt, looking unshaven with his hair plastered down.

His Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the RIA Novosti news agency that Snowden had recorded and submitted the video in advance.

'He found out there would be a direct line with the Russian president and recorded a question,' Kucherena said.

First the camera cut dramatically to a co-host who introduced Snowden as 'a person who carried out a real information revolution'.

'I'd like to ask you: does Russia intercept, store or analyse in any way the communications of millions of individuals?' Snowden asked Putin in English.

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Snowden questions Putin on surveillance

Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden on Thursday made an unexpected intervention in a televised forum involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, quizzing him over the extent of Moscow's surveillance activities.

Putin, a former KGB agent, greeted Snowden as a fellow 'former agent' before assuring him that Russia's surveillance of the population was not on a mass scale and strictly controlled by laws.

The questions were put to Putin during a televised QA aired on Thursday in which Russians were able to submit videoed questions to Putin using mobile phone apps.

Snowden spoke against a dark background giving no clue to his location. His Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the RIA Novosti news agency that Snowden pre-recorded the video.

The fugitive whistleblower asked the question in English. Putin appeared taken aback and was not provided with a translation through an earpiece, suggesting he was not expecting the question.

'I'd like to ask you: does Russia intercept, store or analyse in any way the communications of millions of individuals?' Snowden asked.

'And do you believe that simply increasing the effectiveness of intelligence or law enforcement investigations can justify our placing societies rather than subjects under surveillance?'

Putin replied that the kind of 'mass eavesdropping' on the population that Snowden exposed in the United States was impossible as Russia's special services were under strict control.

'Mr Snowden, you're a former agent, I also had something to do with this, so we'll talk in a professional language,' he greeted Snowden, drowned out by clapping from the audience.

'We have strict legal regulation of the use of special surveillance by special services, including tapping phone conversations, surveillance on the internet and so on,' Putin said, stressing a court decision was necessary for this.

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Snowden asks Putin surveillance question

Summary: Edward Snowden caused more damage to the Internet than the U.S. intelligence community did, according to a former deputy director of the NSA. But of course, he would say that. So, now what?

NEW YORK Edward Snowden sure has caused a lot of headaches in the IT security community.

His reported leaks have led the industry going into overdrive mode over the past ten months in order to counter some of the previously unthinkable tactics used by the U.S. National Security Agency and the wider intelligence community.

In spite of blowing the whistle on some of the encryption-cracking efforts, the fiber-cable tapping, and the zero-day flaw exploitation, Snowden was the one who caused damage to the Internet, according toone former senior NSA official.

Former NSA deputy director of training Col. Cedric Leighton said in remarksat the Bloomberg Enterprise Technology Summit in New York City on Thursday that Snowden's leaks had performed a "significant disservice" to the worldwide health of the Internet.

He was talking about the recent moves by Brazil and other countries to reconsider the decentralized nature of the foundation of the Internet.

Quick to respond,Trend Micro chief technology officerRaimund Genes said Europe's efforts to strengthen policy within its 28 member state border was "going over the top."

He added that policy was not always the answer, and that the security industry should also find solutions to benefit customers the most.

The panel pitted the U.S. intelligence agency's actions against the rest of the world the Snowden leaks have touched almost every nation and led with the discussion on nation states' efforts to create their own versions of the Internet, including keeping citizen data within their own respective borders.

"The Internet was created to be global, and it should stay global," Genes added.

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Former NSA deputy director: Snowden leaks caused 'significant disservice' to the Internet

U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden was on Wednesday officially initiated as the student rector of the University of Glasgow.

At the rectorial installation at the university, Snowden presented his inaugural address via video link to staff and students. "In a democracy people have a right to know the policies of their government. This idea that if we believe in something we should stand up for it is what I will follow in my role as rector of the university," Snowden noted.

Jess McGrellis, president of the University of Glasgow's students' representative council, said he was "happy that Snowden was able to continue the tradition of addressing students at this installation."

The main role of the rector is to represent the university's students. Having received 3,347 of the 6,560 votes cast by students in February, Snowden takes over from his predecessor Charles Kennedy and will hold the office for the next three years.

Under the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858, the rector is the "ordinary president" of court, the university's governing body of 25 members, drawn from the university's students and staff, from its graduates and from the wider community, which is responsible for overseeing the management of the university.

Snowden, a former U.S. defense contractor who revealed U.S. secret surveillance programs, is currently living in Russia under temporary asylum and facing espionage charges for his leaks on U.S. National Security Agency surveillance practices in his home country.

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Snowden initiated as Glasgow University rector

Harc az internetrt - Edward Snowden - TED2014 - magyar felirattal
Eredeti vide: http://indavideo.hu/video/Internet_-_ES.

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Harc az internetért - Edward Snowden - TED2014 - magyar felirattal - Video

No Plan B: Inside the Mind of Edward Snowden
April 21 (Bloomberg) --- Vanity Fair Contributing Editor discusses how Edward Snowden left the U.S. with NSA secrets. She speaks on Bloomberg Television #39;s "T...

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No Plan B: Inside the Mind of Edward Snowden - Video

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has been installed as the official representative of students at the University of Glasgow.

Snowden told the ceremony by video link that, in the office, he would follow the idea "that if we believe in something we should stand up for it."

He said "in a democracy, people have a right to know the policies of their government."

Snowden leaked documents disclosing details of U.S. spies' surveillance of the Internet and telephone communications. He has been granted asylum in Russia.

He was elected rector the students' representative to university management out of a field of four candidates in February.

Snowden is unlikely to visit Glasgow, however. Britain has an extradition treaty with the U.S., where he is wanted on criminal charges.

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Snowden Installed as University of Glasgow Rector

London Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has been installed as the official representative of students at the University of Glasgow.

Snowden told the ceremony by video link that, in the office, he would follow the idea that if we believe in something we should stand up for it.

He said in a democracy, people have a right to know the policies of their government.

Snowden leaked documents disclosing details of U.S. spies surveillance of the Internet and telephone communications. He has been granted asylum in Russia.

He was elected rector the students representative to university management out of a field of four candidates in February.

Snowden is unlikely to visit Glasgow, however. Britain has an extradition treaty with the U.S., where he is wanted on criminal charges.

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Edward Snowden installed as University of Glasgow rector