Originally Posted by Matt 26z

Snowden is both a traitor and a hero.

I don't think anyone has a problem with the US spy agencies looking at what bad seeds across the world are doing, but they overstepped their bounds by spying on every American.

For decades the US government has photographed the outside of every piece of mail sent. They can look your name up and see everything you ever sent or received. They can not, however, indiscriminately open your mail and record your written communications. Whether they didn't do that because it was against the law or because it would have been physically impossible is open for debate. One thing is certain; once the digital age hit they began saving everything you ever sent or received. They have every email you sent in the year 1995. They have recordings of your Yahoo webcam chats from fifteen years ago. They have the text you entered into Facebook comments, but then deleted before hitting submit.