Edward Snowden: encryption is the key to reclaiming our digital freedom

'I think it's more likely than not, actually, that the technical side of the argument will win.' - Snowden speaking at this week's FutureFest

Edward Snowden was received with raputuous applause after emphasising to UK conference delegates this weekend the importance of encryption as a weapon in the privacy war. In a powerful speech, he reminded people that we are not powerless to let governments sleepwalk us in to a mass surveillance world, because we have the technological tools at our disposal to do something about it.

The NSA whistleblower, who appeared through a live video link from Moscow at innovation charity Nesta's FutureFest event on Saturday, described the relationship between governments and citizens as a 'broken marriage'.

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When asked how those in power can rebuild trust, he said it had to be a collective effort of the media, civil society, tech companies and everybody to demand accountability of those creating surveillance systems without the involvement of citizens.

Snowden added that governments are decieving us by saying that their interception of citizen data is for our own good- 'These programmes are not public safety programmes, they're spying programmes.'

'The question that we as a society have to ask,' added Snowden, 'is are our collective rights worth a small advantage in our ability to spy.'

Governments are afraid of us finding out about these abilities through classified slides like the ones he leaked back in 2013, 'not because it would cause security concerns they don't want us to know what they're doing because it would cause a damaging public debate,' said Snowden.

'The government doesn't want us to know how they are interpreting the law and redefining powers, and how they're redefining the boundaries of our rights and liberties, morally, socially... without our involvement.'

But on a positive note, Snowden described mass surveillance 'one of the few places in the global political debate where we have a choice' - thanks to end-to-end encryption.

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Edward Snowden: encryption is the key to reclaiming our digital freedom