The top 5 things we’ve learned about the NSA thanks to Edward Snowden

In June 2013, the Internet at large became significantly more acquainted with the National Security Agency. It's all thanks to Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor with access to an unprecedented volume of documents.

What we’ve learned:

1. American telecommunications companies are compelled to routinely hand over metadata to the government
2. Digital surveillance programs PRISM and XKeyscore capture vast amounts of data
3. US companies have done little to resist government pressure
4. NSA's sister organization in the UK, GCHQ, does what the NSA can’t
5. NSA analysts even used capabilities to spy on their exes

What has happened since:

• As a way to prevent future leaks, the NSA fired nearly all its systems administrators
• Privacy-minded e-mail providers shut themselves down under pressure
• The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) opened up and published opinions
• Patriot Act author said that NSA’s interpretation is overbroad
• Congressional reforms introduced, remain slow-moving