A former American technical contractor and Central Intelligence Agency employee who worked for Booz Allen Hamilton before disclosing classified information on National Security Agency mass surveillance programs to the press. Snowden shared classified information on top-secret programs such as PRISM surveillance program which reportedly monitored phone calls and internet record of millions of citizens throughout the world.

In 2004 Snowden enlisted in the United States Army with the hope of joining the Special Forces. He wanted to fight in Iraq to "free people from oppression." However, after breaking both of his legs in a training accident, he was discharged and joined NSA as a security guard for the covert Center of Advanced Study of Language, he later joined the CIA to work on IT security. In 2007 he was stationed in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was responsible for maintaining computer network security. He left the CIA in 2009 to work for a private contractor. He was working for Booz Allen Hamilton in Hawaii at the time of his revelation.

Snowden was last known to be in Hong Kong, however the White House has said that it does not know where he went after checking out of his hotel in Hong Kong on Monday, June 10, 2013. The Justice Department is currently preparing charges against Snowden. Snowden denies hiding from justice in Hong Kong, instead he insists that he is there to "reveal my criminality." He has now, however, gone to Russia seeking political asylum to Ecuador.