Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and grew up in Fort Meade, Maryland. He trained as a systems engineer and worked as an officer at the Central Intelligence Agency and as a contractor for the National Security Agency. He has been honored with numerous awards for his public service, including the Right Livelihood Award, the German Whistleblower Prize, the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling, and the Carl von Ossietzky Medal from the International League for Human Rights. Today, he serves as the president of the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.