REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana - Edward Snowden: Digital Whistleblower

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

After the tragic events of 9/11, Edward Snowden decides to do his patriotic duty and joins the US Military. When he moves up to systems engineer at the CIA, he stumbles across a secret that will change the world forever: the American Government is spying on its citizens. In the end, Snowden is forced to sacrifice everything he holds dear to make America's dark secret public.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterFollow Redacted: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/redacted/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to redacted, declassified mysteries early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Wondery Plus Early one morning in the spring of 2013, a 29-year-old computer analyst intensely watched his screen. He was downloading thousands of top-secret documents, and never felt more terrified in his life. The analyst was in his office deep in the heart of the tunnel, a data center for the National Security Agency.

It was buried under a pineapple field in Hawaii. The lack of windows and fluorescent lighting made it hard to know what time of day it was. The analyst snuck a glance down the hall, scared one of his co-workers was going to appear behind him at any moment. Finally, after three hours of nauseating anxiety, the download finished, and the analyst breathed a sigh of relief. He ejected his micro SD card, about the size of a pinky fingernail, and packed up his things. Now he had to exit the building past security. He steadied his breathing as he walked down a long corridor. He was a seven-year veteran in the intelligence community and he knew how to keep calm in moments of extreme stress. But as he approached the exit,

the paranoia was getting to him. He reached the security checkpoint and nodded to the guards. He'd gotten to know them well since he started working in the tunnel. They called him the Rubik's Cube Guy, because he was always fiddling with one. Today, his fingers twisted the cube anxiously. He just hoped the guards wouldn't notice anything different this time. They hadn't in the past, not when he'd hidden cards in his shoe or even inside one of his cubes.

Week after week he'd walked out with NSA documents on these micro SD cards. But today, with the last of the documents downloaded, he wasn't going to take any chances. He put the SD card in his mouth and kept it pressed against his cheek. If he needed to, he was ready to swallow the card to keep it hidden. If he was caught, he would be charged with espionage and thrown in jail for the rest of his life. But more than that, the information the American public needed to hear, but the world needed to hear, would never make it out. As the analyst approached the exit, he touched the micro SD card with his tongue, making

sure it was secure. He took his backpack off slowly, then carefully placed it on the conveyor belt. The guard, tired from the night shift, gave him a nod to go ahead through the metal detector. In that moment, everything hung in the balance. The analyst knew his actions could alter the course of modern history. Soon enough, the world would know his name. Edward Snowden. When Luigi Mangione was arrested for allegedly shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, he didn't

just spark outrage. He ignited a cultural firestorm. Is the system working, or is it time for a reckoning? I'm Jesse Weber. Listen to Law and Crime's Luigi exclusively on Wondery+. Last year, Law and Crime brought you

the trial that captivated the nation. And one question still lingers. Did Karen Reed kill John O'Keefe? This isn't just a retrial. It's a second chance at the truth. Listen to episodes of Karen, the Retrial, exclusively and ad free on Wondery+. From Poland Studios and Wondery, I'm Luke Lamanna, and this is Redacted – Declassified

Mysteries, where each week we shine a light on the shadowy corners of espionage, covert operations and misinformation to reveal the dark secrets our governments try to hide. This week's episode is called Edward Snowden, Digital Whistleblower. When you take an oath to serve the United States government, you're given an extraordinary level of trust. Access to classified information, state secrets, the inner workings of our national security. It's a sacred contract, and breaking that trust is one of the most serious crimes you can commit. But what if you discover that the very institution you've sworn to protect is betraying the

American people, and keeping your oath means staying silent about massive violations of citizens' privacy? That was the dilemma faced by 29-year-old Edward Snowden in 2013. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the American intelligence community adopted a new motto, Never Again. They became intent on preventing terrorism in the future, by any means necessary. The Patriot Act, which passed in October 2001, greatly expanded the American intelligence community's ability to spy on U.S. citizens.

The NSA could tap into the phone conversations, emails, texts, and internet search history of anyone they deemed a potential threat to America. Crucially, however, the agencies still had to file warrants with a judge in a secret court to spy on their selected targets. At least, that's what the public was told. For years, Edward Snowden worked deep within the shadows of the American intelligence community. But when he discovered that the NSA surveillance capabilities were much more invasive than almost anyone knew, he decided he had no choice but to reveal the truth.

His actions would spark a global battle over privacy and mass surveillance. To some, he's a hero who exposed government overreach. To others, a traitor who endangered national security. On an unseasonably chilly morning in May 2004, Ed Snowden paced outside his father's apartment. Even at 20 years old, he was headstrong and sure of himself, but today he hesitated at his father's stoop. He mustered up his courage and slipped a handwritten note under the door. It said, I'm sorry, Dad, but this is vital for my personal growth.

He was leaving for basic training with the U.S. Army. The second the note left his hands, Ed felt a twinge of regret. He knew how upset his father was going to be. His dad and grandfather were both officers in the Coast Guard, and his dad considered the Army a waste of Ed's talents. A few years earlier, Ed never would have considered enlisting. He didn't see the point of military service. Then 9-11 happened, and everything changed. He suddenly felt he needed to defend and serve his country. He hoped he could land a job within the intelligence community, like the CIA or the National Security Agency, where his mother worked. But even with his considerable analytical skills, Ed didn't meet the strict qualifications these agencies required.

He had his GED and community college credits as well as a certification from Microsoft, but none of those mattered without a college degree. There was, however, one solution that would waive the degree requirement — military service. Ed scored highly on his Army entrance exam, and the thought of proving himself as more than just a computer geek excited him. Maybe he'd finally be able to put on a little muscle. As Ed walked out of his father's apartment building, he pictured himself returning from service. Whatever happened, he would be a changed man.

Five years later, in 2009, Ed was in his office at Yokota Air Base, about an hour outside of Tokyo, Japan. He was the same computer geek he'd been when he'd first joined the military, but now he was working for a private defense contractor. His time in the Army was cut short just a few months into training, when he slipped during an exercise and broke both of his legs. So, Ed accepted a medical discharge and worked toward his dream of getting into intelligence. Despite his short tenure in the Army, a year later, Ed's computer skills helped him land a top-secret security clearance. He started out working for the NSA, then quickly became a systems engineer at the CIA. For the next two years, he worked at

the U.S. Embassy in Geneva under diplomatic cover. Now Ed was living his wildest dream in Japan. At only 26 years old, he'd become a government contractor for Dell Computers, supporting the NSA. He'd always wanted to visit Japan, and now he and his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills, were living here full-time while he worked at the Air Base. Ed was an important cog in the machine of American intelligence. He'd even personally designed a backup system for all the NSA's data called Epic Shelter. As he leaned over his computer to review the files collected by Epic Shelter,

one caught his eye. It was marked highly classified. Ed knew he shouldn't look, but curiosity got the better of him. His eyes scanned the file, and Ed felt his chest tighten with anxiety. The document outlined a secret program of government surveillance, one that was being used to collect data on American civilians without their permission and without a court order. When he left work, he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen. His mind was swimming with anxious thoughts and he couldn't shake a feeling of dread.

The program seemed almost certainly illegal. It seemed to violate the Constitution, but there was no one he could report it to. Presumably his bosses had gotten the surveillance system up and running in the first place, so he couldn't talk to them. Besides, he wasn't supposed to have seen the document at all. As Ed traced his way back to his apartment, he figured he didn't have a choice other than staying silent. He liked his life, and he didn't want to blow it up by asking too many questions.

Three years later, in mid-2012, Ed sat frozen in his darkened office, his mind racing yet again. He was just a few months into his position working at the tunnel in Hawaii. During World War II, it had been an underground airplane factory, but now the NSA was using the site to collect data and intelligence for various surveillance programs. Ed had done his best to forget his discovery in Japan. He tried to keep his head down and continue moving up the ladder of US intelligence. But the secret about the government spying on its own citizens ate away at him.

Deep down, he found himself questioning the entire intelligence system he'd spent his career working in. Even when he learned about the surveillance program, he had accepted that their goals were in service of defending Americans. But here, in the paradise of Hawaii, he could put the pieces together and see the whole ugly picture of the intelligence community. In the tunnel, Ed held a unique position as the sole employee of the Office of Information Sharing.

The NSA had made him their reader-in-chief, responsible for document management across the entire facility. He was able to see in detail the full capabilities of the NSA's programs. They were spying on everyone. The NSA had been collecting data on every phone call, email, internet search and social media profile made in America, no matter how mundane. Ed was staggered at the depths of this invasion of privacy and almost no one knew what was happening. And all of that data was being backed up and secured thanks to Ed's epic shelter program. Nauseous, Ed sunk into his seat. He grabbed a Rubik's Cube and began fiddling with it, unsure of what to do.

When he entered the intelligence community, he'd made an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution. But this level of surveillance spat in the face of the values of any free society. Ed finally felt he couldn't stay silent anymore. It was only going to get worse. He had to do something to stop it. In the spring of 2013, Ed came up with his plan. He began downloading hundreds of gigabytes worth of documents, carefully avoiding the vast security measures the NSA had put in place.

Each time he smuggled out a microSD card without being caught, it felt like a little miracle, and one step closer to revealing the truth to the world. On his last nerve-wracking day of stealing documents, when he stashed the micro SD card in his cheek, Ed stepped through the metal detector on his way out of the tunnel. He prayed the guards wouldn't find him out. He grabbed his backpack and headed for the exit. Suddenly, a guard's voice rang out, calling after him. Ed froze. Looking back, he saw the guard holding up his Rubik's Cube. He tossed it to him. Ed caught it and smiled.

As he stepped out of the tunnel and in the bright Hawaiian sunlight, he felt his shoulders relax. He waited until he got into his car before he fished the SD card out of his mouth. As he drove away, the card now safely secured, a rush of excitement crashed over him. But, almost as quickly, it was followed up by a pang of fear. He had only completed step one of his plan. When he got home, Ed waited for his girlfriend, Lindsay, to leave to run a few errands. And then he started downloading and backing up all the files he had acquired. Just in case, he put a blanket over his head, obscuring the secret government intel on his

screen. After everything he had seen, he wouldn't be surprised if the NSA had bugged his house. Soon, Ed had all the files backed up on OneDrive, hidden behind layers of encryption. He now held concrete evidence that the government had been collecting data from millions of people without their consent. He knew that people should know what their government was doing. He just needed to figure out how to expose it all. He couldn't just dump the files online.

He wanted to ensure that the public had the tools to understand and analyze what they were reading with the necessary technical and legal context. For that, he needed help. Ed had always believed in the power of the press and thought journalists could help him report the truth without putting lives at risk. The question was who? Two months later, on May 20th, 2013, Ed stood in line at the Oahu International Airport. With each step closer to the ticket window, his heartbeat raced faster and faster.

He felt an urge to keep checking over his shoulder, but he fought it. The last thing he wanted was to look suspicious. Ed had made all the preparations for his departure. He had found two journalists, documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald. They often reported on issues related to surveillance, technology, and civil liberties, and he admired their exhaustive investigations. When Ed first contacted Laura and Glenn, they were hesitant, especially since Ed wanted

to use complicated encrypted emails for security. But after sending them a few tutorials, they set up a secure line of communication. From then on, Ed spent much of his off time driving around Oahu with an antenna, using public Wi-Fi networks to set up a plan to meet with the journalists. Moving on, Ed spent much of his off time driving around Oahu with an antenna, using public Wi-Fi networks to set up a plan to meet with the journalists. He told his bosses at work that he needed to take a short-term medical leave. He would then buy a flight to Tokyo, and from there he would fly to Hong Kong, where he would meet Glenn and Laura at his hotel.

He just hoped he could get there without being noticed. He decided to depart right after his girlfriend Lindsay went on a camping trip with some friends. When she left, she thought it was goodbye for only a few days. He knew it would be for longer, maybe even forever. When she came home, he'd be gone. But leaving home turned out to be much harder than Ed expected. After moving around so much for work, he'd learn not to care too much about his stuff, except for his computer, of course.

But this time, he was leaving his entire life behind. He'd been with Lindsay for almost a decade. He was excruciating to walk away, with only a note saying, God called away for work. I love you. Ed knew deep down that Lindsay and his parents would eventually understand why he had to keep them in the dark. But the guilt was still eating away at him.

They were going to be scrutinized by the media and the government almost as closely as he was without being able to prepare for it. They might not ever be able to get over his betrayal. As the woman at the ticket counter called Ed forward, he snapped to attention. He pushed the thoughts of his family out of his mind. This work was too important. He needed to go through with his plan. He grabbed his small suitcase with his four laptops and walked up to the window. After this, there would be no turning back. Every successful business starts with an idea, and on the best idea yet, we're obsessed with those light bulb moments.

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and the bold risk takers made them go viral. These are the wild ideas and insights that made Birkenstock the best selling sandals since Jesus. And made Super Mario the most played video game in the history of attention span. Nintendo almost became a ramen company until Super Mario saved it. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Follow the best idea yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.

And if this podcast lasts longer than 45 minutes, call your doctor. Last year, long crime brought you the trial that captivated the nation. She's accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston police officer, John O O Keefe with her car. Karen Reed is arrested and charged with second degree murder. The six week trial resulted in anything but resolution. We continue to find ourselves at an impasse. I'm declaring a mistrial in this case. But now the case is back in the spotlight. And one question still lingers. Did Karen Reed kill John O'Keefe? The evidence is overwhelming that Karen Reed is innocent.

How does it feel to be a cop killer, Karen? I'm Kristin Thorn, investigative reporter with Law and Crime and host of the podcast, Karen, The Retrial. This isn't just a retrial, it's a second chance at the truth. I have nothing to hide. My life is in the balance and it shouldn't be. I just want people to go back to who the victim is in this. It's not her. Listen to episodes of Karen, The Retrial, exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+.

On June 2nd, 2013, Laura Poitras carried a suitcase and video equipment into the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong. Walking just behind her was her friend, journalist Glenn Greenwald. She had a familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach, a sense of danger mixed with intense excitement. She'd followed that feeling to great success as a documentary filmmaker. Now she and Glenn were about to meet a source that could potentially change their careers and the world. She didn't know much about this mysterious contact, just that he was an analyst at the

NSA. He'd only identified himself by the code name Citizen Four. It was a nod to three other NSA whistleblowers who'd revealed secrets for the public good. When Citizen Four contacted her, she wasn't sure if she could trust him. In fact, she wasn't sure of that now. But she and Glenn were too tempted by the prospect of an incredible story. They had to go through with this. Laura had been very careful in each encrypted interaction with her source. She knew the U authorities were already watching her closely because of her films criticizing the government's post-9-11 crackdown on potential terrorist threats.

She received constant harassment at airports and she was aware her communications were being monitored. Ultimately, she had to move to Berlin to escape it. Laura knew this mysterious source was putting his entire life on the line, and she wanted to help him. Beyond publishing Citizenford's findings, she could also help him deal with the target on his back. Laura knew her experience, as well as her nerve to see things through, would be invaluable

assets in this dangerous project they were about to undertake. Glenn leaned over and asked if she felt they were being watched. Laura said she always felt that way. She was grateful to be here with Glenn. Not only was he her friend, but he was also a fantastic reporter. Glenn had been a civil liberties lawyer before becoming a columnist at The Guardian in London. She knew Citizen Four had selected him because he was diligent about every story that came across his desk.

He would do whatever it took to get to the truth, even if a confrontation was necessary. Following the specific instructions, Citizen Four had left them. Laura and Glenn rode the elevator from the hotel lobby to the third floor. They spotted a hotel employee and asked if any of the restaurants were open. She knew Citizen Four would be within hearing distance, and this question would signal to him that they hadn't been followed. From there, they were told to go to a nearby conference room that contained a huge decorative alligator.

By now, Laura's heart was practically beating out of her chest. It was just before 10 a.m. Citizen 4 had told them that if he didn't arrive by 10.02, they should leave and try again at 10.20. Laura and Glenn exchanged nervous looks as each second ticked by. Right as Laura took a look at her watch, she saw someone enter the room out of the corner of her eye. He was tall and lanky with spiked hair and glasses, and he was holding a Rubik's Cube

Minutes after meeting, Ed Snowden took Laura and Glenn up to his room on the 10th floor. The first order of business was to store their smartphones in the mini-fridge to muffle any sounds in case they were bugged. As they followed his orders, Ed's face suddenly flushed from embarrassment. He'd been holed up in the same hotel room for the past 10 days, never leaving for fear anyone could come in and set up surveillance. He hadn't allowed housekeeping in either, so everything was a mess. He wasn't sure what these journalists were expecting, but it probably wasn't a 29-year-old slob. Ed turned back to Laura. She was setting up her video camera. He had agreed via their earlier

encrypted emails that she could film their meeting. But now, in the heat of the moment, he felt insecure. The red light of Laura's camera hit him like a sniper's sight. The more he thought about how all of this would eventually become public, the more self-conscious he became. He wondered what this video would look like in a courtroom or on the news. He could hear his girlfriend Lindsay's voice echo in his head. He should put on nicer clothing, at least clean up the room. Ed tried to concentrate on the purpose of the meeting. He knew he was about to become infamous around the world, but he wanted to make sure that the focus was on the documents he'd taken. He wasn't the story, the NSA surveillance program was, and it was up to him to make sure that was clear. But as Ed sat down on the bed,

he started to feel grateful that he'd gotten this far. It was already miraculous that he wasn't in handcuffs. He looked around as the journalists continued setting up their equipment, seemingly unbothered by his untidiness. However it looked, this was the place where they were going to change the world. Before Ed knew it, Glenn was asking him about the documents while Laura filmed them. He didn't have time to second guess anymore. It was time for action. Two days later, Glenn walked out of the Mira Hotel in a hurry. He was anxious to get back to his own hotel to review the final edits on his story about

the leaked documents. But also, after stewing in the details of the NSA surveillance, he was anxious to get some air, even on the congested streets of Hong Kong. He paused outside his hotel and took one last deep breath, then walked briskly inside. Citizen Four, or Ed Snowden as they had learned, had given Laura and Glenn thousands of documents. It was up to them to decide which to focus on and in what order. For their first story, set to be published in The Guardian the next day, Glenn had written about a secret court order that authorized the NSA to collect information from Verizon. This meant one of the biggest telecommunications companies in

America was handing the government private data on every single one of their customers. Following that story, Glenn would publish an article about something called PRISM. It was a secret NSA program that gave the agency access to user data from major tech companies including Apple, Facebook, and Google. Through that data, the NSA could collect emails, photos, videos, and other digital communications from any users they wanted, primarily abroad, but in the United States too. It was a huge story, and it was going to have massive ripple effects worldwide. As he rode the elevator up to his room, Glenn thought back over the last few weeks.

He could hardly believe that he'd initially been hesitant to fly to Hong Kong. After seeing what Ed had handed over, Glenn knew why Laura had pushed so hard. This wasn't just another leak or whistleblower. This was the story of a lifetime. Glenn walked down the hallway to his room, peering over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. Ed's paranoia was rubbing off on him, but knowing what he now knew about the NSA, his suspicions felt warranted. He immediately checked in with his editor in London, eager to hear their thoughts.

If the public was going to really understand the massive scope of the NSA surveillance programs, his writing needed to be sharp and precise. Glenn's editor told him that the story was a bombshell, they were just running it by their legal team before publishing, and Glenn expected this, but worry still bubbled up inside him. He knew other whistleblower stories had been buried because of legal issues. For the next hour, Glenn waited to hear if his article was cleared.

A thought crept into the back of his mind. As his new stories came out, the NSA would surely get closer to identifying who the whistleblower was. And while Glenn wanted to get the truth out, he wanted to make sure Ed was safe. Then a notification popped up on his computer. The first article was going out in just a few hours. A wave of relief washed over him. He laid down on his bed, hoping to get some sleep.

He needed to be back in Ed's hotel room early the next morning. Tomorrow would be another day of revealing the truth to the world. Glenn's first story broke on June 6th, 2013, and the world finally learned the truth. The NSA, working with foreign governments, had created a system capable of intercepting nearly every digital message, phone call, and electronic signal on the planet. It seemed every television channel, every website, every dinner table around the world was focused on the revelations. It was explosive. News stations were asking the same thing.

Who had leaked these documents and why? Laura knew they had to move fast. The government was already trying to control the story, painting the anonymous leaker as a traitor. She and Glenn had to introduce Ed to the world on their own terms, not as some shadowy criminal, but as a young man who'd sacrificed everything to expose the truth. The best defense wasn't to hide him, it was to reveal him first, before the government's spin machine could drown out the real story. Laura thought it best if they filmed a clear statement from him straight to the camera.

Ed had made it clear to them that he did not want to make the story about himself, but given the government's decision to focus on him and not on the mass surveillance operation, he had no choice. She took her spot behind the camera in Ed's room and focused on her subject. She watched as he fidgeted awkwardly with his glasses. She'd been trying to make him feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Her advice helped most of her subjects, but most people weren't also wanted for treason by the most powerful government in the world. Now, there was no more time to waste. Laura gave Ed a quick countdown and hit record.

My name is Ed Snowden. I'm 29 years old. Laura watched as Ed laid out exactly what he was disclosing, as well as why he became a whistleblower. She knew this video was going to send shockwaves around the world. The greatest fear that I have regarding the outcome for America of these disclosures is that nothing will change. As Ed continued, Laura knew how much danger he was putting himself in. Everyone in the world was going to know who and where he was, and the US government was going to come for him. The next day, Glenn stopped at the door of Ed's hotel room.

Inside this otherwise ordinary room, he, Laura and Ed had turned the world upside down. But now, Ed needed to disappear, quickly. There was just one problem. The media was searching every five-star hotel in Hong Kong, looking for him. Luckily for Ed, from the moment Glenn had published his first story, his readers had been in touch to offer help. One of them had connected them with human rights lawyers, who volunteered to help Ed get away. First, they needed to create a diversion. Glenn would leave the hotel first, to deal with the crowds of press who had already gathered outside.

Then, Ed's new lawyers would sneak him out through another exit, through a sky bridge to a mall. Glenn steadied himself, grabbed hold of his suitcase, and went out the door. He suddenly found himself in a mob of fellow journalists and tabloid photographers. He could barely see a few feet ahead with so many cameras flashing in his eyes. The reporters shouted questions, asking about Ed's whereabouts and his plans. They assumed that Glenn would have all the answers, but he said he didn't. He had no idea where Ed was going. No one did, except Ed's attorneys.

From the hotel, Ed was taken to a safe house. While the media continued their search, the lawyers were bringing him to one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city, where he would be hiding for a few weeks. Glenn pushed through the crowd and got into a cab to head to the airport. Finally, a moment of peace, but his mind quickly turned to Ed. Glenn felt responsible for Ed's safety, but there was nothing more he or Laura could do. Only time would tell if Ed could get out of the country before the U.S. government found him. You know those creepy stories that give you goosebumps? The ones that make you really question what's real?

Well, what if I told you that some of the strangest, darkest, and most mysterious stories are not found in haunted houses or abandoned forests, but instead in hospital rooms and doctor's offices? Hi, I'm Mr. Ballin, the host of Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, and each week on my podcast, you can expect to hear stories about bizarre illnesses no one can explain, miraculous recoveries that shouldn't have happened, and cases so baffling, they stumped even the best doctors. So if you crave totally true and thoroughly twisted horror stories and mysteries, Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries

should be your new go-to weekly show. Listen to Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Spotify or Apple podcasts. A few weeks later, Ed Snowden felt a jolt as his plane touched the ground. He had hoped to get a little sleep on the flight, but his anxiety had kept him awake. He pulled his baseball cap a little lower over his face.

It felt like everyone was staring at him. He wanted nothing more than to calm his nerves by fiddling with the Rubik's Cube. But he decided against it. Nothing would be more noticeable than that. Over the intercom, the flight attendant welcomed the passengers to Moscow. It was one of the last places he hoped to be. A lot of people back home already thought he was a traitor. He didn't want to risk any accusations of selling government secrets to U.S. enemies like Russia.

But he reminded himself that he would only be here for a few hours on a layover. After that, he was flying to Cuba, and eventually to Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government had a policy of supporting whistleblowers. Notably, they'd allowed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to live in their embassy in London. The Ecuadorian consul had promised Ed political asylum. All he had to do was get into the country and he could live freely. As he filed off the flight, Ed kept his head low. He'd become an international celebrity overnight, and even more so when the U.S. government charged him with violating the Espionage Act.

Sharing classified documents with journalists carried the same charges as giving the information to enemy states. Ironically, the intelligence community almost preferred that the leaks went to traditional spies. At least foreign governments kept secrets hidden, unlike the press. But by putting the truth out for the world to see, Ed had put an even bigger target on his back. He moved up the passport control line, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. When he made it to the front, he gave the officer a slight smile.

The officer took his passport, a look of recognition flickering over his stern face. Ed tried to stay calm. The officer studied Ed's passport for a long time. As the minutes ticked by, Ed could feel more eyes on him. People were looking to see what the holdup was. Ed had hoped not to draw any attention, but it seemed that was impossible. Finally, the officer cleared his throat. He said there was a problem with Ed's passport,

and suddenly two additional security officers showed up on either side of him. It seemed as if they had been waiting for him to arrive. Ed's heart sank. He might not be making that flight to Ecuador after all. He might not be making that flight to Ecuador after all. A month later, Ed made his way to the front of the line at the Moscow airport Burger King. By now the employees knew his order. A whopper, no tomato, no onion.

But then again, everyone in the airport knew who he was. When he arrived here in June, the Russian intelligence services had pulled him aside. The United States had revoked his passport. They'd waited until he was in the air from Hong Kong to Moscow to do so. Now, with no nationality to claim, he couldn't even leave the airport to enter Russia. Ed applied for political asylum in 27 other countries beyond Ecuador, but none of them were willing to stand up to U.S. pressure. Ed found an empty gate to sit down and ate his Whopper in silence. He felt completely exhausted. He used to like traveling, but being trapped in a Russian airport for weeks had killed all

that enthusiasm. He lived out of a small room in the Terminal Hotel, washed up in a shared bathroom, and ate almost every meal at the same Burger King. Russia seemed tired of him, too. Having him stuck there was bad for their image, not to mention a nuisance due to the day-to-day logistics of managing the reporters who were constantly trying to talk to him. Still, if the Russians were even considering letting him leave the airport, he hadn't heard anything. For now, he was in limbo. As he got up to throw away his trash, his mind went to his girlfriend, Lindsay. It had been almost two months since he left home. It emailed back and forth a few times, and he let her know he was safe, but that was

it. He'd seen how the media had gone after her, and it broke his heart. He had invited the stress of becoming an international figure. She hadn't. He saw a news report of becoming an international figure. She hadn't. He saw a news report playing on a TV nearby. It seemed the anchor was discussing further revelations published from Ed's disclosures. The NSA had used their surveillance systems to spy on foreign governments, too, even hacking the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ed had accomplished what he'd set out to do. The truth had gotten out. Even though he was a man without a country, stuck in purgatory, Ed couldn't help but crack a smile. Edward Snowden would ultimately spend 40 days and 40 nights in Moscow's airport. On August 1, 2013, Russia, eager to get the media circus out, granted him temporary asylum. His revelations ignited a global debate about privacy, surveillance, and government overreach. Even President Obama, who authorized the charges against Snowden, conceded that his efforts

led to an important national conversation about surveillance. Eventually, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act of 2015, which introduced important reforms to the intelligence community, including a ban on the NSA's bulk collection of phone records. Many of the government's programs remained in place, but they would now have to request their data with a warrant. By 2016, three years after Snowden first came forward, his revelations had changed how we use the internet.

Most websites had added security measures to protect users' privacy, a dramatic shift from the largely unprotected web traffic of the past. His disclosures remain the largest leak of top-secret information about U.S. surveillance programs in the nation's history. He's been avoiding an indictment from the Justice Department for more than a decade. As of today, he is still in exile in Moscow with his now-wife, Lindsay Mills, who moved to be with him in 2014. Also in 2014, the Laura Poitras documentary, Citizen 4, premiered and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary. The same year, Glenn Greenwald's reporting

earned a Pulitzer Prize. In 2022, Snowden was granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin. The second Trump administration has also discussed pardoning Snowden, so there is a chance that he could come home in the next few years. Whether the country would welcome him as a hero or a traitor remains to be seen. Follow redacted, declassified mysteries hosted by me, Luke Lamanna, on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're looking to dive into more gripping stories from Ballin Studios and Wondery, you can also listen to my other podcast, gripping stories from Ballant Studios and Wondery, you can also listen to my other podcast, Wartime Stories, early and ad-free with Wondery+. Start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify today. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short

survey at Wondery.com slash survey. From Ballant Studios and Wondery, this is Redacted, Declassified Mysteries, hosted by me, Luke Lamanna. A quick note about our stories. We do a lot of research, but some details and scenes are dramatized. We use many different sources for our show, but we especially recommend Edward Snowden's autobiography, Permanent Record, Laura Poitras' documentary Citizen Four, and the book No Place to Hide, Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. surveillance state by Glenn Greenwald. This episode was written by Jake Natureman. Sound design by Kelly Kramarik. Our producers

are Christopher B. Dunn and John Reed. Our associate producers are Ines Renikay and Molly Quinlan-Artwick. Fact-checking by Sheila Patterson. For Ballen Studios, our head of production is Zach Levitt. Script editing by Scott Allen. Our coordinating producer is Samantha Collins. Production support by Avery Siegel. Produced by me, Luke Lamanna. Executive producers are Mr. Ballen and Nick Witters.

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