[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.49,0:00:02.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is James Risen.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.17,0:00:05.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You may know him as the\NPulitzer Prize-winning reporter
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.95,0:00:07.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for The New York Times.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.66,0:00:10.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Long before anybody knew\NEdward Snowden's name,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.44,0:00:13.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Risen wrote a book in which\Nhe famously exposed
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.38,0:00:17.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the NSA was illegally wiretapping\Nthe phone calls of Americans.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.84,0:00:19.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's another chapter in that book
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.64,0:00:21.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that may have an even more lasting impact.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.40,0:00:27.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In it, he describes a catastrophic\NUS intelligence operation
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.25,0:00:30.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which the CIA quite literally\Nhanded over blueprints
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.36,0:00:32.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of a nuclear bomb to Iran.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.66,0:00:34.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If that sounds crazy, go read it.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.48,0:00:35.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's an incredible story.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.46,0:00:38.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But you know who didn't like that chapter?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.89,0:00:40.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The US government.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.59,0:00:42.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For nearly a decade afterwards,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.83,0:00:46.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Risen was the subject\Nof a US government investigation
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.11,0:00:48.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which prosecutors demanded\Nthat he testify
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.50,0:00:50.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,against one of his alleged sources.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.83,0:00:54.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And along the way, he became the face\Nfor the US government's recent pattern
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.93,0:00:57.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of prosecuting whistleblowers\Nand spying on journalists.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.68,0:01:00.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You see, under the First Amendment,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.37,0:01:04.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the press has the right to publish\Nsecret information in the public interest.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.02,0:01:09.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's impossible to exercise that right\Nif the media can't also gather that news
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.18,0:01:12.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and protect the identities\Nof the brave men and women
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.46,0:01:13.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who get it to them.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.09,0:01:16.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when the government came knocking,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.14,0:01:19.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Risen did what many brave reporters\Nhave done before him:
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.21,0:01:20.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he refused
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.42,0:01:22.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and said he'd rather go to jail.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.61,0:01:25.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So from 2007 to 2015,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.62,0:01:28.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Risen lived under the specter\Nof going to federal prison.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.98,0:01:33.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That is, until just days before the trial,\Nwhen a curious thing happened.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.91,0:01:37.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Suddenly, after years of claiming\Nit was vital to their case,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.74,0:01:40.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the government dropped their demands\Nto Risen altogether.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.91,0:01:43.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It turns out, in the age\Nof electronic surveillance,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.48,0:01:46.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are very few places\Nreporters and sources can hide.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.96,0:01:50.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And instead of trying and failing\Nto have Risen testify,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.58,0:01:53.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they could have his digital trail\Ntestify against him instead.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.58,0:01:57.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So completely in secret\Nand without his consent,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.12,0:01:59.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,prosecutors got Risen's phone records.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.90,0:02:04.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They got his email records,\Nhis financial and banking information,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.44,0:02:06.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,his credit reports,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.22,0:02:08.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even travel records with a list\Nof flights he had taken.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.81,0:02:13.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it was among this information that\Nthey used to convict Jeffrey Sterling,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.62,0:02:16.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Risen's alleged source\Nand CIA whistleblower.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.04,0:02:20.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sadly, this is only one case of many.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.15,0:02:24.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,President Obama ran on a promise\Nto protect whistleblowers,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.78,0:02:28.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and instead, his Justice Department\Nhas prosecuted more
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.07,0:02:30.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than all other administrations combined.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.18,0:02:33.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, you can see how this\Ncould be a problem,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.31,0:02:37.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,especially because the government\Nconsiders so much of what it does secret.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.76,0:02:43.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Since 9/11, virtually every important\Nstory about national security
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.28,0:02:46.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has been the result of a whistleblower\Ncoming to a journalist.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.67,0:02:49.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we risk seeing the press\Nunable to do their job
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.59,0:02:51.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the First Amendment\Nis supposed to protect
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.82,0:02:54.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the government's\Nexpanded ability to spy on everyone.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.49,0:02:57.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But just as technology has allowed\Nthe government
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.96,0:03:00.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to circumvent reporters' rights,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.70,0:03:02.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the press can also use technology
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.89,0:03:05.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to protect their sources\Neven better than before.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.70,0:03:08.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they can start from the moment\Nthey begin speaking with them,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.83,0:03:11.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rather than on the witness stand\Nafter the fact.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.20,0:03:14.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Communications software now exists
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.31,0:03:16.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that wasn't available\Nwhen Risen was writing his book,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.87,0:03:20.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and is much more surveillance-resistant\Nthan regular emails or phone calls.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.79,0:03:26.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, one such tool is SecureDrop,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.03,0:03:28.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an open-source whistleblower\Nsubmission system
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.74,0:03:32.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was originally created by the late\NInternet luminary Aaron Swartz,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.81,0:03:35.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and is now developed\Nat the non-profit where I work,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.50,0:03:37.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.82,0:03:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead of sending an email,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.50,0:03:41.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you go to a news organization's website,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.56,0:03:43.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like this one here on The Washington Post.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:44.01,0:03:47.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,From there, you can upload a document\Nor send information
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.98,0:03:50.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,much like you would\Non any other contact form.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.72,0:03:53.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It'll then be encrypted\Nand stored on a server
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.36,0:03:55.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that only the news organization\Nhas access to.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.35,0:03:59.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the government can no longer\Nsecretly demand the information,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.75,0:04:01.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and much of the information\Nthey would demand
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.88,0:04:03.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wouldn't be available in the first place.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.48,0:04:07.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,SecureDrop, though, is really\Nonly a small part of the puzzle
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.46,0:04:10.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for protecting press freedom\Nin the 21st century.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.04,0:04:13.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unfortunately, governments\Nall over the world
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.43,0:04:15.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are constantly developing\Nnew spying techniques
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.96,0:04:17.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that put us all at risk.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.04,0:04:20.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's up to us going forward\Nto make sure
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.76,0:04:23.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that it's not just\Nthe tech-savvy whistleblowers,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.29,0:04:26.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like Edward Snowden, who have\Nan avenue for exposing wrongdoing.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.41,0:04:32.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's just as vital that we protect the\Nnext veteran's health care whistleblower
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.18,0:04:35.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,alerting us to overcrowded hospitals,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.51,0:04:37.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or the next environmental worker
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.86,0:04:41.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sounding the alarm\Nabout Flint's dirty water,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.08,0:04:42.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a Wall Street insider
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.79,0:04:44.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,warning us of the next financial crisis.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.87,0:04:49.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After all, these tools weren't just built\Nto help the brave men and women
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.02,0:04:51.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who expose crimes,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.58,0:04:54.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but are meant to protect\Nall of our rights under the Constitution.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.46,0:04:56.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.64,0:04:59.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)