Edward Snowden appears by robot at a TED conference in Vancouver. Photo: AFP <\/p>\n
Former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has emerged from his Russian exile in the form of a remotely-controlled robot to promise more sensational revelations about US spying programs. <\/p>\n
The fugitive's face appeared on a screen as he manoeuvred the wheeled android around a stage at the TED gathering, addressing an audience in Vancouver without ever leaving his secret hideaway. <\/p>\n
\"There are absolutely more revelations to come,\" he said. \"Some of the most important reporting to be done is yet to come.\" <\/p>\n
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Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who has been charged in the United States with espionage, dismissed the public debate about whether he is a heroic whistleblower or traitor. <\/p>\n
Instead, he used the conference organised by educational non-profit organisation TED, or Technology Entertainment Design, to call for people worldwide to fight for privacy and internet freedom. <\/p>\n
Internet creator Tim Berners-Lee briefly joined Snowden's interview with TED curator Chris Anderson, and came down in the hero camp. <\/p>\n
When Anderson posed the question to the TED audience known for famous, innovative, and influential attendees the idea that Snowden was a force for good met with applause. <\/p>\n
Hero or traitor? <\/p>\n
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