Edward Snowden Reveals Himself: 3 Things To Know About The NSA Whistleblower

Who is Edward Snowden?

Edward Snowden identified himself as the NSA Whistleblower to the UK publication, The Guardian. He is 29 years, and claims to have worked as a contractor at the National Security Agency and the CIA. Snowden is a current employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, which released a statement Sunday confirming he had been a contractor with them in Hawaii for less than three months.

Why did Snowden leak information?

Snowden has said his "sole motive" was to inform the public and protect "basic liberties." "My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them," Snowden told the Guardian. Snowden also revealed that he decided to expose the NSA secrets because "I do not want to live in a society that does these sort of things."

Will he face jail time?

Snowden believes the government could try to charge him with treason under the Espionage Act. He is now staying in Hong Kong and seeking asylum outside the United States, possibly in Iceland, The Guardian reports. However, if reports are accurate, Snowden could face many years in prison for releasing classified information if he is successfully extradited from Hong Kong.

While Snowden may not be afraid, James R. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said Saturday that the Justice Department had launched an investigation of what he called "reckless disclosures of intelligence community measures used to keep Americans safe."