I also prefer a nuanced view to this issue. Yes, Snowden's leaks did end up causing damage to US interests, and some would rightfully condemn him for it. But

I also prefer a nuanced view to this issue. Yes, Snowden's leaks did end up causing damage to US interests, and some would rightfully condemn him for it. But we also need to keep in mind that there really wasn't any other viable option to shed light into these programs and raise public awareness (and yes, the public did absolutely need to be aware of these programs). The agencies were set up to hide information about their programs from the public at all costs and it was clear that traditional whistleblowing wasn't going to get any results. I'd think another important consideration for Snowden when making this decision was that a more persistent effort at traditional whistleblowing from within the US could in fact have led to even more dire personal consequences.