In case you missed it, Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, and Laura Poitras recently gave a Q & A on Reddit's /IAmAEveryone s!ould c!ec" out t!e t!read #ecause it is one o$ t!e only o%%ortunities to get to !ear Snowden's own views on to%ics ranging $rom t!e &SA lea"s to t!e %ros o$ living in Russia'owever, one o$ Snowden's re%lies in %articular lingered wit! me'ere is t!e comment (em%!asis mine)*+o tag on to t!e Putin ,uestion* +!ere's not, and t!at's %art o$ t!e %ro#lem world-wide We can't just reform the laws in one country,wi%e our !ands, and call it a day We have to ensure that our rightsaren't just being protected by letters on a sheet of paper somewhere, or t!ose %rotections will eva%orate t!e minute our communications get routed across a #order +!e only way to ensure t!e !uman rig!ts o$ citi.ens around t!e world are #eing res%ected in t!e digital realm is to enforce them through systems and standards rather than policies and procedures.Ancient #y most media standards, t!e &ational Security Agencies/ systemic a#use o$ %rivacy remains a %ressing and continuing issue0es%ite t!e lac" o$ coverage, countless organi.ations and individuals are still %us!ing $or %rivacy re$orms and Snowden/s comment touc!es on an issue t!at seems to #e under-em%!asi.ed1!ile %olicy c!anges and en$orcement are critical and necessary to ma"e %rogress towards #etter %rivacy %rotection, creating a #road coalition and using %ersonal %rivacy %rotection are re,uired to createreal and sustaina#le %rivacy %rotectionGovernment s%ying and %rivacy violations !ave seemingly $allen to t!e #ac"#urner $or many activists and average citi.ens2ot! 3ongress and President 4#ama $eigned concern over t!e massive violation o$ American/s %rivacy, #ut !ave done a#solutely not!ing to sto% itActivists s!ould e5%ect any re$orms t!at come to $ruition to %reserve t!e government/s current %owers and o%erations w!ile simultaneously saving $aceSnowden is rig!t t!at i$ we really want to %rotect our %rivacy, we need to ma"e it a glo#al issue $or everyone and citi.ens must ta"e it u%on t!emselves to %rotect t!eir %rivacy wit! w!atever means %ossi#leAnyt!ing s!ort o$ t!is, and %rivacy %rotection is guaranteed only #y 6a s!eet o$ %a%er somew!ere,7 doomed to 6eva%orate t!e minute our communications get routed across a #order7 Since t!e internet is glo#al #y nature, e8ective %rivacy %rotection re,uires su%%ort t!at transcends #orders+!is is not to say t!at a multilateral coalition does not already e5ist, #ecause it de9nitely doesGrou%s li"e 1i"i%edia, t!e Electronic :rontier :oundation, and 1i"iLea"s all wor" across #orders to !el% coordinate activists and %rotests against intrusive government surveillance1!at needs em%!asis is t!at ot!er governments are guilty o$ t!e same crimes as t!e &SA, a conce%t neglected #y media coverage and %olicy $ramingEven i$ su#stantial re$orms %ass in a country, citi.ens are still vulnera#le to t!e actions o$ intelligence agencies ran #y ot!er countriesAdditionally, de$ending %rivacy t!roug! active %ersonal met!ods o$ %rotection is integralEntrusting government, t!e same institution t!at !as !istorical violated %rivacy rig!ts re%eatedly, to %rotect %rivacy wit! laws t!at !ave re%eatedly #een ignored or annulled is na;ve and s!ortsig!tedIn t!e same /IAmA discussion, Greenwald said it #est in an e5cer%t $rom one o$ !is re%lies6+!e or internet cor%orations are ado%ting stronger %rivacy 6systems and standards7 #ecauseo$ consumer demands and to %rotect #usiness o%erations3iti.ens s!ould $ollow suit in %rotecting t!eir own %rivacyAdvocacy can never sto% i$ activists want a $uture wit! sustaina#le %rivacy %rotectionSo long as grou%s li"e t!e :ive Eyes remain, t!e tension #etweenciti.ens/ rig!ts and government %ower will remain as well+!e world 9nds itsel$ at a ma>or crossroad in !istory wit! t!e growt! o$ internet and communications? w!et!er %rivacy and tec!nical innovation can coe5ist in t!is new world will de%end on !ow its citi.ens reactLeaving %rivacy and its %rotection to t!e maw o$ government control will surely doom us to a world wit!out t!is co!a#itation 4nly once citi.ens in Germany, England, t!e