Ethical and Professional Analysis of the Edward Snowden Case Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Edward Snowden case, focusing on the ethical issues and professional implications of his actions. The report begins with a situational analysis using the "Doing Ethics" technique to identify stakeholders, facts, and ethical dilemmas. It explores the breach of confidentiality, the Espionage Act, and the impact on the US government, citizens, and Snowden himself. The report then applies the ACS Code of Ethics to evaluate Snowden's actions, particularly regarding public interest, honesty, and competence. The analysis concludes with recommendations for the US government to prevent future breaches, including policy changes and fair legal processes. The report highlights the complexities of balancing national security with individual privacy and professional ethics in the digital age.

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Executive Summary
The present report will highlight the case of Edward Snowden and the various ethical issues
associated with the case. The first part of the report will highlight different ethical issues,
different facts, stakeholders and ethical issues associated with the case. In the first section, a case
analysis has been conducted with the help of Doing Ethics technique, in which ethical issues has
been analyzed with and recommended actions will be suggested. In the second part of the report,
ACS code of Ethics has been used to analyze the professional duties of Engineer and ICT
professionals. It is an ethical code, which encompasses six core values professionalism, honesty,
public interest, competence, enhancement of quality of life and giving priority to public interest.
According to the analysis, Snowden has breached professional code of ethics and the government
should take actions so that these actions can be prevented in future.

Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations and Assumptions Made.............................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
Situational Analysis using Doing Ethics Technique....................................................................................4
What’s going on?.....................................................................................................................................4
What are the facts?..................................................................................................................................5
What are the issues?................................................................................................................................5
Who is affected?......................................................................................................................................6
Edward Snowden.................................................................................................................................6
US Government...................................................................................................................................6
US Citizens..........................................................................................................................................7
What are the Ethical Issues and Implications?.........................................................................................7
What can be done about it?......................................................................................................................7
What are the Options?.............................................................................................................................8
Which Option is the Best- and Why?......................................................................................................8
Analysis of the Situation using ACS Code of Ethics...................................................................................8
The Primacy of Public Interest................................................................................................................9
Enhancement of Quality of Life..............................................................................................................9
Honesty...................................................................................................................................................9
Competence.............................................................................................................................................9
Professional Development.....................................................................................................................10
Professionalism.....................................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
Reference List...........................................................................................................................................11

List of Abbreviations and Assumptions Made
 DET – Doing Ethics Technique
 US – United States
 NSA – National Security Agency
 Assumption: No action is taken against Edward Snowden

Introduction
Edward Snowden was an employee of the defense contractor, working in National Security
Agency, who was responsible for the phenomenal leak in the history of US national security. He
leaked significant information about the surveillance programs of the national agency in which
the agency collected and used data mining on the phone and telephone traffic of the terrorists.
After leaking the information, Snowden fled from the country. It was a controversial situation as
a few people considered him as traitor leaking the documents of national security whereas some
people considered him a whistle-blower, who drew attention to the breach in the human rights.
The present is the era of information technology, wherein the information is the main strategic
resource, upon which the individuals, companies and the major industries rely. The information
and the sensitive data can also be used for significant malicious intent (Sher, 2012). In this light,
the information ethics have been formed, which can prevent the ethical breach in the field of
information technology. The information ethics emphasize maintaining ethical standards in
maintaining, distribution and governance if data and information technology. There are several
issues in storage, transmission and handling of data such as data privacy, intellectual property
and the misrepresentation of scholarly facts. The information leak by Edward Snowden is also an
ethical dilemma, which will be analyzed through Doing Ethics Technique. The ACS code of
Ethics will also be used to analyze same case.
Situational Analysis using Doing Ethics Technique
The doing ethics is the most common and simple technique to analyze the case of the ethical
dilemma. I the present section, doing ethics technique is applied on the case of Edward Snowden.
What’s going on?
Edward Snowden leaked sensitive data of national security by giving confidential documents to
various newspapers such as Washington Post and The Guardian. At that time, Snowden was
working for a contractor of National Security Agency, named Booz Allen Hamilton. The
government of USA accused that Snowden has breached the confidentiality terms. He has
breached the law of Espionage Act 1917, which states that the leak if confidential information of
the organization is a breach of law. In response to this, Snowden stated that he did not reveal

information, which can negatively impact on the national security (Singer, 2013). Further, he
made the citizens of the USA aware that the government is intruding their personal lives.
What are the facts?
The case of Edward Snowden and its implications can be summarized in the following facts:
 Edward Snowden was a former CIA agent, who leaked confidential information
regarding the surveillance program, PRISM to newspaper agencies and media. He also
leaked the file, which establishes that the national security agencies of different countries
are sharing the electronic information with each other.
 In response to the accusations, the US government stated that Snowden breached the
confidentiality terms. Further, the government has to conduct the surveillance in order to
track terrorism activities.
 The USA government also stated that Snowden breached and violated the privacy laws
regarding the Espionage Act 1917. The act prohibits a USS citizen from revealing any
information which is disloyal, profane or abusive towards the country or the USA
government (McAskill, 2016).
 Snowden was an employee of CIA-contractor agency Booz Allen Hamilton and used the
official access to leak the documents. Further, it is also established that Snowden took the
job to obtain confidential documents from NSA surveillance program.
 Snowden committed the act for the goodwill of the citizens. He wanted to increase
awareness that the personal information of the users is data mined and explored. The
people assumed that there personal and private communication is not shared cannot be
accessed. Snowden aimed to reduce the misconception and make people aware that their
electronic communication is analyzed in government surveillance (Melden, 2013).
 There are significant numbers of supporters, who support Snowden in his revelation of
private data.
What are the issues?
There are several key issues in the present case:
The primary issue in the case is that the actions of that Snowden leaked the information, which
was confidential in terms of national security. He wanted to raise awareness that although people
assumed that their information is safe with the telecommunication companies and the

government, it is secretly analyzed for any potential lead towards the terrorism activities. The
aim of the NSA was goodwill towards the public welfare. In the past, there have been a large
number of terrorist activities in the country, which has motivated the government agencies to
identify any clue, which can prevent the terrorist activities in the country (Birsh, 2013).
However, the agency took wrong measure in identifying the potential lead.
Another issue is that Edward Snowden also took access of illegal means in accessing the
confidential government information and handing it over to the newspaper agencies in the
country.
The revelation portrayed the US government in a negative light. The USA citizens also realized
that they have little privacy in the country, which created mistrust towards the government.
Later, Snowden flew away from the country, which raised a question towards his integrity
(Szoldra, 2016). If Snowden was right at his place, he should not have flew from the country.
Who is affected?
There are various stakeholders of Edward Snowden case. Different stakeholders and the extent of
impact on the incident on these stakeholders has also been discussed in this section:
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden was at the center of this accident. He revealed sensitive and confidential
information from the government records. After leaking the information from the government
records, he flew from the country. He sent asylum requests to several countries and moved to the
country, which accepted him and could provide him with maximum security (Broad, 2014). The
whole incident of NSA information leak had a strong impact on the life and career of Snowden.
US Government
Another major stakeholder in the controversy of Edward Snowden is the US government. The
confidential information leak has negatively influenced the relationship of the US government
with other countries. The citizens of the USA also have started mistrusting the USA government.
The people were convinced that the government takes special efforts in maintaining the privacy
of the government. However, the present case is showing the government itself is breaching the
user privacy in the electronic media (Broad, 2014). The Obama administration has created
policies, which prevents the National Surveillance Agency from collecting data from internet

mediums and phone calls without the approval from the senior authority. This incidence has also
brought criticism from different countries such as Russia and Germany. They have also reduced
the commercial activities with the country. The Russian government also criticized the incident
and offered asylum to Edward Snowden.
US Citizens
The US citizens were deeply affected by the incident. The citizens were concerned that their
private information and can be used against them anytime. There were reports that the search
queries related the terrorist organization and activities declined substantially after the incidence
(Menn, 2016). Further, Apple also took a legal stand against sharing the personal information
related to the user activity after the incident. Several companies such as Facebook and Google
take measures to encrypt the user data although it cost them a significant amount of financial
investment (Hattem, 2016).
What are the Ethical Issues and Implications?
There was mixed response to the situation if Edward Snowden leaking the information to the
media. A few US citizens were happy with the actions of Snowden as he provided information
regarding the secret program, which can impact the privacy of the users. The secret program of
the government is violating the privacy of the users. Further, the US government was upset with
the actions of Snowden as he breached his official duty by leaking the confidential documents of
the government (Edgar, 2016). Snowden has breached his ethical duties, which makes him liable
for legal trial. He conducted an unethical act and according to Espionage Act, his actions can be
later trailed at the court.
What can be done about it?
Overall this incident portrayed the US government in a negative light and it was deeply affected
by the whole incident. Therefore, it is important that the US government takes appropriate
measures so that such incidence never happens in future. Firstly, the government should make
policies so that NSA and other surveillance or detective agencies cannot access the user data
without the permission of appropriate legal authorities. Further, in order to assure secrecy of the
government missions, the government should control the access of confidential files for all the
employees. The government should also focus on bringing Edward Snowden back to the USA
and give him a fair trial. Although he has conducted lawfully wrong actions by leaking the

private information of the government, his intention behind the revelation should be analyzed
(Black & Roberts, 2011). The government should also be concerned by the fact that he might
have other confidential documents and may leak them later.
What are the Options?
There are several options, which can be used to address the issue. In the present times, the US
government has taken several legal actions against the US government, which has prevented
Snowden from entering the country. The US government is also creating propaganda that he is a
potential threat to the country and has collected confidential data, which can be detrimental to the
security of the country. The government should also focus on developing a system, which can
detect any violation to the confidential system and immediately notify the concerned authority.
The government should implement policies, which can prevent the surveillance agencies from
collecting the information from the electronic media without the proper permission of the legal
authorities (McDermid, 2015). It will assist the organizations in regaining trust from the citizens
of the country. Snowden will also be ready to come back to the country, when he will realize that
there will be a fair trial upon him.
Which Option is the Best- and Why?
There are several actions, which can be used to address the situation of ethical dilemma.
According to the ethical analysis, the best option for the US government is to change their policy
regarding the collection of public and private data without the permission of court. It is the best
action for the government as it will assist the government to regain the trust of public enterprises.
The current action will also improve the foreign relations of the country. The USA government
should also implement policies, which assures that if Snowden will come back in the country, he
will be given a fair trial.
Analysis of the Situation using ACS Code of Ethics
The ACS Code of Ethics states that a professional should advance the honor and a professional.
There are six value mentioned in the ACS code of conduct, which are the primacy of the public
interest, the enhancement of quality of life, honesty, competence, professional development and
professionalism.

The Primacy of Public Interest
The primacy of the public interest states that it is the duty of the professionals to keep the public
interest at the highest priority. The ACS code of Ethics state that it is the duty of the young
professionals to give highest importance to the public interest. It means that the public interest
should be kept before the organizational or personal interest. In the present, Snowden followed
the ACS code of ethics, as he kept the public interest before the organization’s interest. He
revealed the sensitive government data to make the people aware that their private information is
invaded by the government (Brinkman, Gotterbarn, Miller & Wolf, 2016). Snowden collected
and revealed sensitive information regarding how the government agency is collecting data by
collecting information from the telephone calls and internet traffics. Snowden violated his duty
for the interest of public.
Enhancement of Quality of Life
This principle focuses on the impact of the professional’s action on the lives of the people. The
professionals should focus on improving the lives of the people with their actions. The
development in information technology has a significant impact on the lives of the people. The
technology has made the lives of the people comfortable and has become an essential part of the
people’s lives.
Honesty
In the present, there is intense competition among the business organizations, which motivates
the companies in taking wrong or unethical decisions. In the present, the companies are using
wrong methods to achieve their business aims. The ACS code of Ethics are strictly prohibits
deception and fraudulent activities at the workplace. In the present case, NSA was collecting
information from the internet users, without their awareness (Lang, Macfadyen, Slade, Prinsloo
& Sclater, 2018, March). The data theft can be a serious security issue; therefore, the current
action of Snowden is ethical. Further, it can be stated that Snowden also breached the principle
of honesty by leaking the confidential information of the public. Therefore, in both the cases, the
users have used dishonesty.
Competence
According to this principle, a professional should only accept the work, which he can complete
with excellence. The professionals should be competent in completing their work according to
the directions of the customers. Further, the professionals should understand his capabilities and

limitations and take work accordingly. According to this principle, the government should only
analyze the data, which is permissible (Brinkman & Sanders, 2012). If there is security concern,
the agency should take special permission from the government agencies so that they fulfill the
competency principle of the ACS code of Ethics.
Professional Development
The principle of professional development states that an individual should ensure that he has the
knowledge of latest developments in technology. He should constantly strive to enhance his
knowledge regarding the latest technology. In the present case, Snowden was well-aware of
different programs ad tactics, which were used to collect and store the data collected through
data mining on the data of the users (Berleur & Brunnstein, 2016). Snowden collected sensitive
information form the government and distributed to the media agencies, so that the public can
see the data.
Professionalism
According to this principle, a person should complete all his professional duties with
professionalism. He should maintain adequate professional conduct while performing any action.
ACS emphasize on focusing the confidence of the people and building the trust on the ICT
community. According to this principle, appropriate action should be taken against
whistleblowers.
Conclusion
Conclusively, it can be stated that there are certain ethical issues in the whistleblowing act of
Snowden. The Snowden case can be analyzed through DET technique. According to the
findings, Snowden breached the Espionage Act and compromised the national security by the
whistleblowing Act. According to ACS code of conduct, his actions were ethical to some extent
as they were taken for the public welfare.

Reference List
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Taylor & Francis.
Brinkman, B., Gotterbarn, D., Miller, K., & Wolf, M. J. (2016). Making a positive impact:
updating the ACM code of ethics. Communications of the ACM, 59(12), 7-13.
Brinkman, W.J. & Sanders, A.F. (2012). Ethics in a Computing Culture. Cengage Learning.
Broad, C.D. (2014). Five Types of Ethical Theory. Routledge.
Daily Mail. (2013) Edward Snowden says he took a job with Booz Allen specifically so he could
gather information on NSA surveillance programs. Daily Mail. [Online] Available at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2347691/Edward-Snowden-reveals-took-job-Booz-
Allen-gather-information-NSA-surveillance-programs.html [Accessed 3 February 2018].
Driver, J. (2013). Ethics: The Fundamentals. John Wiley & Sons.
Edgar, T.H. (2016). Why the NSA Should Thank Edward Snowden. Fortune. [Online]. Available
at: http://fortune.com/2017/10/03/edward-snowden-nsa-fisa-section-702/ [Accessed on: 10 May
2018].
Hattem, J. (2016). Spying after Snowden: What's changed and what hasn't. The Hill. [Online]
Available at: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/310457-spying-after-snowden-whats-
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