Edward Snowden says he is NSA Prism leak source in interview

A former CIA technical worker has been identified by the UK's Guardian newspaper as the source of leaks about US surveillance programmes.

Edward Snowden, 29, is described by the paper as an ex-CIA technical assistant, currently employed by defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

The Guardian said his identity was being revealed at his own request.

The recent revelations are that US agencies gathered millions of phone records and monitored internet data.

In a video interview released by the Guardian, Snowden speaks about the powers he had to monitor data and why he has chosen to go public.

Video courtesy of The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras