NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden has called on the technology industry to resist Internet surveillance.
He urged delegates tot eh South by Southwest Festival in Texas to expand encryption for online services.
This can be a powerful weapon against surveillance, he said, as it could force the agencies spying on Internet users to target only those people under suspicion rather than the broad population.
Since Snowden blew the whistle on NSA surveillance and fled to Russia, Internet companies have beefed up their protection for users.
“The government has the ability to deprive you of your rights. They can literally kill you. They can jail you,” Snowden told the conference.