The GuardianArts+Culture / NewsEdward Snowden says NSA employees exchange intercepted nudesAccording to the world-famous whistleblower, naked photos of the public are viewed as a perk of the jobShareLink copied ✔️July 18, 2014Arts+CultureNewsText Thomas Gorton As if the NSA wasn't creepy enough, whistleblower Edward Snowden has revealed that employees at the shadowy surveillance organisation pass around nude photos intercepted in the course of their duties. "You’ve got young enlisted guys, 18 to 22 years old. They’ve suddenly been thrust into a position of extraordinary responsibility where they now have access to all of your private records," Snowden explained in a marathon seven-hour interview with the Guardian. "In the course of their daily work they stumble across something that is completely unrelated to their work in any sort of necessary sense... For example, an intimate nude photo of someone in a sexually compromising situation." "They turn around in their chair and show their co-worker and their co-worker says: 'Oh hey, that's great. Send that to Bill down the way.’ And then Bill sends it to George, George sends it to Tom and sooner or later this person's whole life has been seen by other people. It's never reported. These are seen as the fringe benefits of surveillance positions." That's right – your nudes may become the topic of water cooler conversation for NSA bros. Snowden says that he personally witnessed the pic-swapping happen while he was employed at NSA HQ, noting that these incidents are seen as "routine". In a statment, an NSA spokesperson did not deny his claims, but said that such activity would not be tolerated. So next time you want to email a racy picture to a sexual partner, remember there's a good chance that some American spies are passing it around an office just outside of Washington. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.TrendingPhotos of the ‘techno sluts’ at Berlin’s all-day runway raveDesigner Damur Huang staged his SS27 collection in an industrial skatepark, bringing fashion, performance and partying together under one roofFashionBeautyWhy are women now talking like looksmaxxers?Pull&BearFashionSongs Worth Reading: Sophia Stel and PULL&BEAR find dark academia in ParisArt & PhotographyThe Japanese photographers finding beauty in what others overlookBeauty10 of the hottest Instagram accounts fusing art, sex and eroticaArt & PhotographyAnd Love Comes in at the Eye: Passionate portraits from Tom Wood’s archiveMusicOlivia Rodrigo: ‘A breakup can be an opportunity to redirect your life’Beauty‘I trust my own body’: The rise of the unquantified self Life & CultureIs this the most corrupt World Cup ever?Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy