--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The majority of people in developed…" description: "\"The majority of people in developed countries spend at least some time interacting with the Internet, and Governments are abusing that necessity in sec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/edward-snowden-555_appropriate_the-majority-of-people-in-developed-coun_1495986.jpg" --- # The majority of people in developed countries spend at… ![“The majority of people in developed countries spend at least some time interacting with the Internet, and Governments are abusing that necessity in secret to extend their powers beyond what is necessary and appropriate.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/edward-snowden-555_appropriate_the-majority-of-people-in-developed-coun_1495986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/edward-snowden-555_appropriate_the-majority-of-people-in-developed-coun_1495986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/edward-snowden-555_appropriate_the-majority-of-people-in-developed-coun_1495986.jpg) > “The majority of people in developed countries spend at least some time interacting with the Internet, and Governments are abusing that necessity in secret to extend their powers beyond what is necessary and appropriate.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments exploit internet dependence to expand authority beyond legitimate bounds. **In simple terms:** Governments misuse internet reliance to gain power. Key Takeaway Guard against digital overreach. Themes privacy surveillance government power digital rights Mood concerned alert Type political warning When to use this quote - online activism - policy advocacy - digital security - public awareness Key Concepts authoritarianism civil liberties information control Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect internet freedom? - How do we balance security and privacy? A Different Perspective Power can be checked through transparency and regulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Developed countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developed-countries/) [Developed country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developed-country/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government spying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-spying/) [Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments/) [Governments Abusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments-abusing-5472901/) [Interacting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interacting/) [Interacting Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interacting-internet-667088/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-governments-4326439/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) ## Related quotes > [I think one big improvement would be if we somehow made it cheaper and easier for developing countries to learn from the sad experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/i-think-one-big-improvement-would-be-if-we-somehow-made-it-cheaper/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Social media is important, but it does not bring down governments. Governments can shut down the Internet. Governments can control media access. If they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilan-berman/social-media-is-important-but-it-does-not-bring-down-governments/) [Ilan Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilan-berman/) > [The Commonwealth is a mixture of developing and developed world, in which the developed countries were very influential and their policies hold sway most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/the-commonwealth-is-a-mixture-of-developing-and-developed-world-in/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Technology is probably the single biggest driver of productivity gains for the developed countries. For example, I think it's much more important than free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/technology-is-probably-the-single-biggest-driver-of-productivity/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Just like how most if not all poor boys look up to and aspire to someday be rich men, most if not all underdeveloped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/just-like-how-most-if-not-all-poor-boys-look-up-to-and-aspire-to/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Congo is one of the least-developed countries in the world, and has millions of acres of virtually untouched forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/congo-is-one-of-the-least-developed-countries-in-the-world-and-has/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [The United States is unique among the rich countries, developed countries, in not having some kind of a national health-care system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-united-states-is-unique-among-the-rich-countries-developed/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [What is urgently needed is a bold new move from a consumer economy to a conserver economy in all of the developed countries, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/what-is-urgently-needed-is-a-bold-new-move-from-a-consumer-economy-to/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Treasurys, as low as yields are, are higher than they are in most other developed countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shilling/treasurys-as-low-as-yields-are-are-higher-than-they-are-in-most-other/) [Gary Shilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shilling/) > [ It \[also\] lives on its history, now, to some extent: its achievements \[ of the Commonwealth\] in Rhodesia and South Africa, which were enormous.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/it-also-lives-on-its-history-now-to-some-extent-its-achievements-of/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [When Wikipedia first started, the only people interacting on the Internet were hard core geeks. Now everyone is there, and they're attracted to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-gardner/when-wikipedia-first-started-the-only-people-interacting-on-the/) [Sue Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-gardner/) > [Depopulation should be the highest priority of foreign policy towards the third world, because the US economy will require large and increasing amounts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/depopulation-should-be-the-highest-priority-of-foreign-policy-towards/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Many people today in the developed countries are so far removed from poverty and suffering and starvation that they lack empathy for the sufferings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/many-people-today-in-the-developed-countries-are-so-far-removed-from/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [A primary task of management in the developed countries in the decades ahead will be to make knowledge productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/a-primary-task-of-management-in-the-developed-countries-in-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [By a quirk of culture and history, it could be that China has arrived today where many other 'more developed countries' will arrive tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-woodward/by-a-quirk-of-culture-and-history-it-could-be-that-china-has-arrived/) [John Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-woodward/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." 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But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Appropriate quotes > [“Appropriate is overrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-w-kohlhagen/appropriate-is-overrated/) [Steven W. Kohlhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-w-kohlhagen/) > [I was for many years myself a journalist and it is not appropriate to say a programme should not be broadcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-monckton/i-was-for-many-years-myself-a-journalist-and-it-is-not-appropriate-to/) [Christopher Monckton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-monckton/) > [I don't think 'This Means War' is an appropriate picture to do in 3-D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mcg/i-don-t-think-this-means-war-is-an-appropriate-picture-to-do-in-3-d/) [McG](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mcg/) > [There is no single best kind of death. A good death is one that is "appropriate" for that person. It is a death in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-s-shneidman/there-is-no-single-best-kind-of-death-a-good-death-is-one-that-is/) [Edwin S. 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