ELI5: Now that the Freedom Act has passed, what does it mean for us?

So you're telling me that these two men who essentially went on an egotistical top-secret information rampage and subsequently cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions - possibly billions - of dollars, potentially exposed thousands of american servicemembers to harm, and set the United States back decades in the 'information game' should be regarded as some sort of near-god-tiers heroes?

Surely, it's the work of either an ignoramus or a hopeless optimist to think that those two only picked out the most optimal information that 'would defend my constitutional rights', as you so put it. You honestly don't believe that these people who are idolized for their deeds didn't take a little something-something on the side to help finance their journey or to convince not-exactly-allies of the US to harbor them for the stuff they knew?

I'd much rather have that be in the hands of a collective of people who can't decide what to do with it, let alone read your precious stupid e-mails or texts (that probably aren't all that fucking interesting anyway), rather than it be in the hands of vigilante madmen who would take less care of the information and sell it to people who actually could use it to harm me or people or things I care about.

To me, that far, far, far offsets any potential for my Constitutional rights. If I have to stand in line to be pat-down for bombs, then so be it if it means you'll catch the crazy behind me. My rights don't mean jack shit to me if I'm dead because of the information that either one of the fellows is surely selling being used in a less-than-ideal-for-me manner against my person.

You all can think whatever you want to think. I'm well aware that I hold the less-than-popular opinion around here. In my mind, no one should be appalled. I think we should all be afraid, and rightfully so. These agencies have had all of this information for how long and haven't done anything with it? And now it's in the hands of a few rogues looking to weigh-down their pockets? Who they'll give that information to is what frightens me the most. Not 'the government' or 'agencies'. Whoever they decide to sell that stuff to will have a great advantage over the US now, that's what scares me, and you can bet with that information casualties will be high in the next war because - as all peachy-keen everyone likes to think things are in the world, they're not, and maybe never will be - the next war won't be one fought on a physical battlefield, it's going to be digital. And people who aren't the 'warfighter' are going to be the targets.

/r/explainlikeimfive Thread Parent