- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Edward Snowden Appears in Las Vegas via Robot That Can Subvert Governments

© Praxis FilmsAccording to the report, which was produced in conjunction with the Intercept and is based on 2012 documents leaked by U.S. whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the surveillance dragnet codenamed Levitation has covered allied trading partners such as the U.S., Britain, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
According to the report, which was produced in conjunction with the Intercept and is based on 2012 documents leaked by U.S. whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the surveillance dragnet codenamed Levitation has covered allied trading partners such as the U.S., Britain, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden appeared in Las Vegas this week at a tech convention in the form of a robot.

Spain's Prime Minister and People's Party (PP) candidate Mariano Rajoy (C) addresses supporters from a balcony at the party headquarters flanked by fellow party members and his wife Elvira Fernandez after results were announced in Spain's general election in Madrid, Spain, December 21, 2015. - Sputnik International
Snowden Congratulates Spain on Ending Two-Party System
The appearance was at the booth for Suitable Technologies, using their robot called “Beam”, which features a screen on wheels, making you capable of roaming around somewhere remotely.

The robot is more than just a cool toy, Snowden explained while giving a speech, it is also capable of subverting governments.

“This is the power of Beam, or more broadly the power of technology,” he said in an onstage interview with Peter Diamandis, the Guardian reported. “The FBI can’t arrest a robot.”

Ben Wizner of the American Civil Liberties Union, Snowden’s lawyer, told the Guardian that he was not compensated for appearing at the event, but that he has benefitted from using the technology, as he is currently under asylum in Russia and wanted by the United States government.

National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden appears on a live video feed broadcast from Moscow at an event sponsored by the ACLU Hawaii in Honolulu on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 - Sputnik International
World
Being a Whistleblower: Snowden Regrets Nothing
This is not Snowden’s first appearance via the technology. A Snowden Beam bot resides in the NYC ACLU office, where he is able to roam around and communicate with people there.

“He’s used it to roll out into the hallway and generously interact with large numbers of ACLU staff,” Wizner previously told Wired magazine. “I think it can be a profound response to exile.”

He also used the $16,000 robot to wheel out on to the stage for his Ted Talk in March, 2014, and Robot Snowden even has it’s own Twitter account.

“Beep boop I believe in transparency,” one tweet from the Robot Snowden reads. The account currently has nearly 700 followers.

“What if you could commute to work without having to sit in traffic?” Snowden asked at this week’s conference. “The US government basically cancelled my passport, but I’m sitting here in Las Vegas with you guys at CES.”

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала