NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has reportedly said that the US spy agency was 'setting fire to the Internet,' condemning the intelligence agency and its leaders.
Snowden, who has been charged with espionage for revealing classified information about the US' mass surveillance programmes, made the remarks at the SXSW conference.
According to Tech Crunch, the 33-year-old former NSA analyst pointed that NSA Director, General Keith Alexander and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had done more harm than anyone else to the national and Internet security.
He argued that by eroding people's protections of communications to get an attack advantage, the NSA is harming the integrity of the Internet itself, a field in which the US has a global advantage in terms of innovation.
Whether his disclosures put to risk the national security, Snowden said that it actually improves the nation's safety, and people were now moving towards more secure communication.
He further suggested that in order to un-set fire to the Internet and tackle pervasive surveillance, pervasive encryption is the key as more and more businesses are installing communication networks for better safety.