This transcript is automatically generated
Fox surgeon I'm Harris Faulkner an American has come out of the shadows to tell the world.
He is responsible for leaking information about the government's snooping on millions of us.
We're learning this from Britain's guardian newspaper this is their reporting -- admitted leaker is on the record tonight in an on camera interview.
Telling the guardian newspaper he was part of the Fed's powerful grab -- cell phone records from every day American citizens.
His name is Edward Snowden and on camera from Hong Kong he talks about the snooping in.
Says it was alarmed at the rate at which our surveillance capabilities have grown and how they could eventually harm even innocent Americans.
The following videos courtesy of the guardian Clinton -- didn't.
Greenwald.
And another reporter.
Because even if you're not doing anything wrong you're being watched and recorded and -- the storage capability of these systems increases every year.
Consistently.
By orders of magnitude.
To where it's getting to a point you don't have to have done anything wrong.
You simply have to eventually fall under suspicion from somebody even by a wrong call.
And then they can use the system to go back in time and scrutinize every decision you've -- for me.
-- -- says he's been the source for the Washington Post and the guardian newspapers as the headlines as you know have been filling up for the past week.
With a jarring details about the government mining phone records for information about customers.
The White House has vowed to find out who was leaking classified information about that program which was run by the National Security Agency.
Snowden is a contract worker for the NSA.
Chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge on fox top story tonight from Washington and Catherine.
In just the last few minutes the story has been unfolding even more breaking details just a statement from the intelligence community what does it -- Let's -- here is a short time ago we received this statement from the nation's intelligence chief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
-- -- -- specific questions to the Justice Department but adding quote.
The intelligence community is currently reviewing the damage that has been done by these recent disclosures any person who has -- security clearance knows that he or she has an obligation.
To protect classified information and abide by the law as we reported yesterday on Fox News a crimes report has been filed and that is the first step.
Towards a criminal prosecution.
Know what -- we worry about Snowden.
-- all the editorial comes directly from an interview posted by the guardian newspaper -- the information available tonight.
Must be seen in that context in a thirteen minute interview -- claims to be a former system administrator.
With the kind of security clearance that allowed him a broad overview of the NSA program.
When you're in positions of privileged access like systems administrator for these sort of intelligence community agencies.
You're exposed to a lot more information broader scale than the average employee.
And because -- that you see things that.
May be disturbing.
But over the course of the normal person's career you'd only see one or two of these instances.
When you see everything you see them -- more frequent basis and you recognize that some of these things are actually abuses.
According to the British paper Snowden said the final phase of his plan into motion three weeks ago and is an -- office in Hawaii he copy documents.
And then to his supervisor that he needed time -- because he suffers from seizures.
And then three weeks ago he got on that plane for Hong Kong here so what is the response tonight.
While former NSA employees tell Fox News tonight the stones flight to Hong Kong appears to be an effort to put himself as far out of reach of the US government as possible.
Because he clearly understands the depth in the -- -- leaks.
In the video -- addresses the likelihood he will be extradited or handed over to -- US for trial at some point.
I could be you know rendered by the CIA I could have -- people come after me or any of senators their third party partners you know they would they -- closely with a number of other nations.
Or you know they make a -- to -- ahead.
-- says he fears for his family adding that some still working the US government the paper says he was brought up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
He later moved to Maryland it was a mediocre student high school.
But despite his academic record he was apparently -- with computers.
And found his way into jobs first that the CIA and then at the -- Harris and what -- the response tonight do we know from his former employer.
Well when contacted by Fox News there's no comment from the CIA.
The British newspaper reports -- worked for various contractors during his four years at NSA and late today one of the nation's largest national security firms confirming.
On its website that Snowden is an employee.
Booz Allen counting can confirm that -- -- 49 has been an employee of -- signed to a team in Hawaii news reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information.
Are shocking -- you're a former senior NSA official tells Fox News.
That it's actually not uncommon for contractors to have the kind of security clearance that apparently gave -- and access to these documents.
Adding an -- and congress have supported outsourcing.
As part of this rationale to reduce costs and then bring in people with outside expertise here -- It'll be interesting to see what argument shape up now Katherine because some would say that we wouldn't know what was going on with the NSA snooping in the phone records if it hadn't -- For someone like this we'll see what happens moving ahead Catherine -- tonight thank you very much -- we'll take a closer look now at exactly -- is.
Edwards is -- The self identified leaker according to the guardian newspaper he was born in North Carolina before his family moved to Maryland.
Not far from the NSA's headquarters in Fort -- In 2003 he enlisted in the army and was training to join -- special forces but was discharged after breaking both legs and a training accident.
-- first worked at the NSA is a security guard before transferring to the CIA to work on IT security.
That job gave him clearance to access a wide array of classified information as you heard -- talking about.
Then in 2009 he took its first real NSA job working at facilities in Japan and Hawaii.
Fox surgeon I'm Harris Faulkner an American has come out of the shadows to tell the world.
He is responsible for leaking information about the government's snooping on millions of us.
We're learning this from Britain's guardian newspaper this is their reporting -- admitted leaker is on the record tonight in an on camera interview.
Telling the guardian newspaper he was part of the Fed's powerful grab -- cell phone records from every day American citizens.
His name is Edward Snowden and on camera from Hong Kong he talks about the snooping in.
Says it was alarmed at the rate at which our surveillance capabilities have grown and how they could eventually harm even innocent Americans.
The following videos courtesy of the guardian Clinton -- didn't.
Greenwald.
And another reporter.
Because even if you're not doing anything wrong you're being watched and recorded and -- the storage capability of these systems increases every year.
Consistently.
By orders of magnitude.
To where it's getting to a point you don't have to have done anything wrong.
You simply have to eventually fall under suspicion from somebody even by a wrong call.
And then they can use the system to go back in time and scrutinize every decision you've -- for me.
-- -- says he's been the source for the Washington Post and the guardian newspapers as the headlines as you know have been filling up for the past week.
With a jarring details about the government mining phone records for information about customers.
The White House has vowed to find out who was leaking classified information about that program which was run by the National Security Agency.
Snowden is a contract worker for the NSA.
Chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge on fox top story tonight from Washington and Catherine.
In just the last few minutes the story has been unfolding even more breaking details just a statement from the intelligence community what does it -- Let's -- here is a short time ago we received this statement from the nation's intelligence chief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
-- -- -- specific questions to the Justice Department but adding quote.
The intelligence community is currently reviewing the damage that has been done by these recent disclosures any person who has -- security clearance knows that he or she has an obligation.
To protect classified information and abide by the law as we reported yesterday on Fox News a crimes report has been filed and that is the first step.
Towards a criminal prosecution.
Know what -- we worry about Snowden.
-- all the editorial comes directly from an interview posted by the guardian newspaper -- the information available tonight.
Must be seen in that context in a thirteen minute interview -- claims to be a former system administrator.
With the kind of security clearance that allowed him a broad overview of the NSA program.
When you're in positions of privileged access like systems administrator for these sort of intelligence community agencies.
You're exposed to a lot more information broader scale than the average employee.
And because -- that you see things that.
May be disturbing.
But over the course of the normal person's career you'd only see one or two of these instances.
When you see everything you see them -- more frequent basis and you recognize that some of these things are actually abuses.
According to the British paper Snowden said the final phase of his plan into motion three weeks ago and is an -- office in Hawaii he copy documents.
And then to his supervisor that he needed time -- because he suffers from seizures.
And then three weeks ago he got on that plane for Hong Kong here so what is the response tonight.
While former NSA employees tell Fox News tonight the stones flight to Hong Kong appears to be an effort to put himself as far out of reach of the US government as possible.
Because he clearly understands the depth in the -- -- leaks.
In the video -- addresses the likelihood he will be extradited or handed over to -- US for trial at some point.
I could be you know rendered by the CIA I could have -- people come after me or any of senators their third party partners you know they would they -- closely with a number of other nations.
Or you know they make a -- to -- ahead.
-- says he fears for his family adding that some still working the US government the paper says he was brought up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
He later moved to Maryland it was a mediocre student high school.
But despite his academic record he was apparently -- with computers.
And found his way into jobs first that the CIA and then at the -- Harris and what -- the response tonight do we know from his former employer.
Well when contacted by Fox News there's no comment from the CIA.
The British newspaper reports -- worked for various contractors during his four years at NSA and late today one of the nation's largest national security firms confirming.
On its website that Snowden is an employee.
Booz Allen counting can confirm that -- -- 49 has been an employee of -- signed to a team in Hawaii news reports that this individual has claimed to have leaked classified information.
Are shocking -- you're a former senior NSA official tells Fox News.
That it's actually not uncommon for contractors to have the kind of security clearance that apparently gave -- and access to these documents.
Adding an -- and congress have supported outsourcing.
As part of this rationale to reduce costs and then bring in people with outside expertise here -- It'll be interesting to see what argument shape up now Katherine because some would say that we wouldn't know what was going on with the NSA snooping in the phone records if it hadn't -- For someone like this we'll see what happens moving ahead Catherine -- tonight thank you very much -- we'll take a closer look now at exactly -- is.
Edwards is -- The self identified leaker according to the guardian newspaper he was born in North Carolina before his family moved to Maryland.
Not far from the NSA's headquarters in Fort -- In 2003 he enlisted in the army and was training to join -- special forces but was discharged after breaking both legs and a training accident.
-- first worked at the NSA is a security guard before transferring to the CIA to work on IT security.
That job gave him clearance to access a wide array of classified information as you heard -- talking about.
Then in 2009 he took its first real NSA job working at facilities in Japan and Hawaii.