Permanent Record

Permanent Record is Edward Snowden's autobiographical account of his life, career in U.S. intelligence, and the decision to leak classified NSA documents revealing mass surveillance programs. The memoir traces Snowden's path from a young computer enthusiast through his work at the CIA and NSA, culminating in his 2013 disclosure of PRISM and other surveillance initiatives to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.

Snowden details the technical architecture of surveillance systems, his growing moral concerns about their scope and legality, and the personal consequences of his whistleblowing—including his flight to Hong Kong and eventual asylum in Russia. The book explores themes of privacy, government accountability, and individual conscience in the digital age.

Published in 2019, Permanent Record became a bestseller and remains a primary source document for understanding the NSA leaks and their global impact on privacy debates, tech policy, and public discourse around surveillance.