Ewen MacAskill and Gabriel Dance, NSA Files: Decoded. The Guardian. 1 November 2013. “The story in a nutshell: The Snowden files reveal a number of mass-surveillance programs undertaken by the NSA and GCHQ. The agencies are able to access information stored by major US technology companies, often without individual warrants, as well as mass-intercepting data from the fibre-optic cables which make up the backbone of global phone and internet networks. The agencies have also worked to undermine the security standards upon which the internet, commerce and banking rely.”
Excerpt from story:
When Edward Snowden met journalists in his cramped room in Hong Kong’s Mira hotel in June [2013], his mission was ambitious. …[H]e wanted to start a debate about mass surveillance. He succeeded beyond anything the journalists or Snowden himself ever imagined. His disclosures about the NSA resonated with [people in the U.S.] from day one. But they also exploded round the world….
One group feeling the immediate impact is journalists and their sources. The Snowden revelations have sent a chill through those reporters covering national security issues. If the NSA can easily gather details about who a reporter phoned or emailed, that sends a signal to whistleblowers that their anonymity can no longer be protected.