The Rest Is Classified 48. The Leak That Changed The World: Death of Privacy (Ep 6)
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May 20, 2025 Exploring the complex legacy of Edward Snowden, the conversation navigates his controversial motives and the broader implications for privacy in the digital age. It highlights gripping conflicts between the UK government and The Guardian over leaked documents and the intricate process of data destruction, likened to a covert operation. Listeners are drawn into unsettling personal anecdotes about digital paranoia, ultimately questioning the ethical landscapes of journalism and surveillance shaped by Snowden's revelations.
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Destroying Sensitive Hard Drives
- Physical destruction of sensitive hard drives is complex and requires tools like angle grinders.
- Files must be physically smashed and then degaussed, an electromagnetic process, to be truly unrecoverable.
Secret Snowden Archive Mission
- Gordon Corera undertook a secret mission to review selected Snowden archive documents in New York.
- He meticulously destroyed his paper notes by tearing them and flushing them down multiple toilets afterwards.
Snowden's Legacy on Oversight
- Snowden's leaks initiated public debate and improved oversight of surveillance powers.
- The intelligence capabilities persist but under greater accountability and legal frameworks now.
