Hayden is dead fucking wrong about Snowden on two counts:
(1) if he reduced the ability of American cloud companies to compete because he revealed that their users’ data aren’t safe from US gov’t intrusion, in contravention of local laws, then he did customers across the world a great service. Competing on false pretenses is unacceptable. And frankly, if fewer people and businesses put their data in the cloud without thinking about the implications of it, it will be a win for the cause of privacy.
If you want it to be private, it should stay local and internal is the lesson. Whether the data stays local or goes in the cloud, American companies will design solutions to store and manage it — different companies may be involved, but either way, America will do fine.
(2) so what if he reduced the confidence of the world in the ability of the US to keep such secrets? The programs are of questionable legality and should be subject to public oversight by public courts. Perhaps showing the world that the US still has people who have the testicular fortitude to stand up for freedom isn’t such a bad thing.
