First, read this article:  “Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations.”

Your question to answer is: Did Snowden do the right thing? Why or why not?

I would argue that Edward Snowden did the right thing by disclosing those documents. After working in government intelligence for almost a decade and seeing the degradation of the public’s privacy, he felt that he couldn’t stand by and let it continue. He wanted internet freedom to remain with the public, and for its value to be retained. His goal was simply to inform the public and have them question the government’s practices and mass surveillance. He even noted that the specific documents he disclosed, were ones he considered to be beneficial to public knowledge and that his goal isn’t to harm, but for there to be more transparency. Furthermore, with the money he made, and the life that he had, an easier choice would be playing a bystander role. Additionally, with his amount of access to confidential information, he could have also sold it to other nations. Yet, he felt that the public’s awareness of the government’s intentions was more valuable than all of it. Even if it came at the cost of his safety and everything he had, the public’s privacy is a right that should always be valued, and that is why Snowden’s choice to be a whistleblower against the NSA for the public was morally correct.