Third Blog Post: Reflection On Citizenfour
Watching Citizenfour honestly made everything feel way more real than just reading about the effect Edward Snowden had like I had done previously. Seeing him in that hotel room in Hong Kong calmly explaining why he leaked the documents made it clear that this was not some impulsive act, it was something he thought deeply about and knew would change his life forever. The biggest takeaway for me is how massive and normalized government surveillance had become without most people even realizing it, especially under programs justified by national security. It was surprising how much data was being collected from ordinary people who were not suspected of any crimes, and I was also surprised at the level of surveillance that still goes on in the UK and how closely allied countries cooperate in sharing intelligence. It is also crazy to me that he still has not been pardoned and continues to live in exile years later. The documentary really made me think about the tradeoff between security and privacy, and how easily fear can be used to expand government power. More than anything, it showed how one person’s decision can spark a global conversation about transparency, accountability, and digital rights.