UK: Snowden praises failed Patriot Act extension during live Q&A

NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden commented on the temporary expiration of section 215 of the Patriot Act, as he was speaking via live transmission at a live Question and Answer session, organised by Amnesty International UK in London, Tuesday. "I think it is meaningful, it's important and actually historic that this [section 215 of the Patriot Act] has been reputed - and not just by the courts but by Congress as well," Snowden said adding that it is the first time in 40 years that "facts have become more persuasive than fear." However he warned that losing a single surveillance programme is not sufficient. The whistleblower also noted that an investigation conducted by the White House found that the surveillance programme has not prevented a single terrorist attack since its introduction after September 11, 2001. As of Sunday midnight, US Congress failed to agree on an extension of section 215 of the so-called 'Patriot Act' allowing the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect bulk phone and business data. Late Tuesday, the US Senate passed a bill to reform the NSA's domestic surveillance programmes, which was due to be signed by US President Barack Obama at the time of writing.