The practice of whistleblowing has undeniably shaped the cultural zeitgeist surrounding ideas of information privacy, government and corporate regulation, and the prevalent means of communication today through social media and other forms of digital communication. Though in a time where one's entitlement to information has become highly desirable as companies and government bodies alike shroud knowledge behind vast systems of bureaucracy, there remains valid concerns as to the ethicality and value of whistleblowing. A concern evident in the growing consensus surrounding whistleblower actions and the frequency of whistleblowing within government and corporate bodies alike.
In the case of Edward Snowden, though his actions may have been seen as fundamental in exposing case’s of mass surveillance use across multiple government bodies, public opinion firm KRC research identified a different narrative among US millennials. In a survey published in March 2015, Millennial’s within the age group 25-40 were asked their opinion as to the actions of Snowden, with the results being recorded as either positive or negative. In the 10 countries where the survey was conducted, the United States polled as having the lowest rate of acceptance as to the action’s of Edward Snowden at a rate of 56% relative to the highest country, Italy, at 86% (KRC 4). A negative trend that continues in proceeding studies, where in which when asked as to the impact of Snowden’s actions on national security, 36% of US millennials saw Snowden’s actions as doing more to hurt national security compared to 29% of millennials who polled in contention (5).
With the United States housing some of the most sophisticated national security agencies in the world, the notion that the integrity of these programs could be compromised by any single individual would raise concern in the minds of any US citizen, an idea clearly reflected in the previous data. However the concerns and fears associated with whistleblowing often manifests through misguided notions of whistleblowers, and the messages they convey. In the case of Edward Snowden, to many within the national intelligence and security community, he was seen as a traitor. Often generalized as placing his own ethical values over matters of protecting national security. In these descriptions and ideas, the sense of fear and anger shared by the public resulting from the Snowden Leaks manifested into the character made by popular news media outlets which characterized Edward Snowden’s actions as larger than life, while downplaying the importance of the information he exposed. The often negative stigmatization of Whistleblowers seen by the general public results from the perpetuation of underdeveloped narratives and basic misunderstandings as to the reason and effect that the actions of whistleblowers can have. In clarifying the impact that whistleblowers can have to empower the general population with knowledge against bad systems and practices, substantial progress can be made in improving the values often associated with whistleblowers.
An example would be Edward Snowden’s impact on the legal system’s interpretation of the first amendment. In an article written by Professor Christina Wells of the University of Missouri School of Law, Wells discusses how “The broad provisions of the Espionage Act (the act through which Edward Snowden was prosecuted) raise significant First Amendment Concerns… Such one-sided punishments under the Espionage Act undermine the First Amendment’s checking function...The public simply cannot have an opinion on government activities when it is unaware of them.” (Wells 1). The government reaction towards the actions of Snowden provided valuable insight as to the interpretations of constitutional law, and highlighted the vast amount of underlying information not available to them in making decisions regarding subjects like political policy.
Sources Cited:
KRC Research. ACLU Edward Snowden Survey. KRC Research, 2015.
https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/snowden_poll_results.pdf, PDF file.
Wells, Christina. “Edward Snowden, the Espionage Act and First Amendment Concerns.” Jurist, 29
July 2013, www.jurist.org/commentary/2013/07/christina-wells-snowden-espionage/.