Permanent Record by Edward Snowden (2019)
Audio book narrated by Holter Graham
11 h 30 min
Edward Snowden (link to Wiki) was born in 1983, and at age 30 became famous as "whistleblower"; revealing how the US government was building a system of world-wide mass surveillance. In 2013 he passed on to the press information he had collected while working with computer systems for the CIA and NSA (National Security Agency). Snowden in turn was then accused of espionage and of stealing government data/documents. He was offered asylum in Russia; where he still lives in exile.
This book is his own account of the events - starting back in his childhood to explain his background, his early interest in computers, and how he came to have the jobs he did. It also explains how he came to have serious doubts about the ethics of what he found out through his work (about the US being able to collect data about the private lives of "every person on earth"); and how he finally decided to expose to the world what he knew.
While my understanding of the technical details is still limited, I found his story interesting and worth listening to - and the subject of personal integrity vs computer technology certainly also worth contemplating. (Like: As I downloaded this book online, the CIA probably already knows I read it...)
Or they know that you have had the means to read it and now that you've posted this they will, of course know. Yes. It's a very scary thought that every single keystroke that we make on our computers and phones is capable of being tracked. I'm not even sure how secure VPNs are at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteGraham, as I got it as audio book I suspect it's probably even stored in some cloud exactly when I started vs finished reading it... (On my app on the phone it's tagged as finished. I can change that if I want to; but I still suspect that in some remote Discworld* out there, the info may still be on permanent record...) (*Terry Pratchett reference)
DeleteYes, Monica, I got the Discworld reference. After all CJ/Scriptor is my brother (and has read every Discworld novel).
DeleteGraham, the footnote was of course primarily for the CIA agents and other Unknown visitors who might be listening in on the conversation.... ;)
DeleteGood grief! I didn't even know our government could exile someone to Russia! So I wonder if he is living comfortably, or is in some awful place? Well, better then being beheaded for treason!
ReplyDeleteGinny, I don't think the US gov exactly "sent" him to Russia - but they did cancel his passport while he was on a flight going via Moscow to some other country. When he arrived in Moscow (only intended to be a short stop), his passport was no longer valid, so he got stuck there. But was then granted asylum to stay in Russia, which seemed the best alternative. So still living in Moscow - together with his American wife, if I've understood it right.
DeleteI love that you read Terry Pratchett. Surely them watching you will know a TP reader can never be bad. Thanks for sharing the review. I might read it. Or listen to it.
ReplyDeleteKate, it was my brother who introduced me to the Discworld and he kept feeding me the series as audio books over a number of years (from the 1990s or so onward)... Most of them on Discs! (Except the last two. By then I had caught up with downloading technology, so they're stored in a Cloud.) I don't have a single one of them in print, though!
DeleteEdward Snowden is a very brave man. He should be honoured world-wide for opening the lid on a Pandora's box of secrecy.
ReplyDeleteHis book now went straight to the top of the bestseller lists, I think!
DeleteYou know that I make my living by counselling companies on privacy / data protection and IT security, so of course Edward Snowdon is a hero in the DPO community, along with Austrian law student Maximilian Schrems who was the first person to stand up to Facebook; it was his case that eventually lead to us having the GDPR in place. Not that it can cure the evil that is happening with all our personal data, but at least it is a step in the right direction... But of course, anything that is technically possible will also be done at some point, be it legal and legitimate or not.
ReplyDeleteYes. It's hard to "go back", once something has already been made possible - or public!
Delete