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Glenn Greenwald, who has used documents leaked by Edward Snowden to expose how the United States spies on foreign countries and citizens at home, will speak this spring at the University of Utah.
Greenwald is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. April 7 in the Gould Auditorium at the Marriott Library. Tickets will be free but limited to the capacity of the auditorium. Instructions on how to acquire tickets will be released closer to the event.
University of Utah English professor Matthew Potolsky invited Greenwald and made the arrangements. Potolsky is teaching a class on secrecy in the spring and said Greenwald's work is on topic.
Potolsky has asked Greenwald to talk about how he met Snowden and government surveillance. Potolsky said he is surprised at how little people know about government surveillance despite the Snowden revelations.
"If you know you're being watched that restricts how you think and how you act even if you don't have anything to hide," Potolsky said.
A representative of Greenwald did not return a request for comment.
Detractors of Snowden and Greenwald say they have damaged American intelligence-gathering and national security.
Greenwald, 47, was a columnist for Britain's The Guardian writing about national security and international affairs when government contractor Snowden arranged for a meeting in Hong Kong in 2013. Snowden subsequently provided Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras thousands of documents discussing how the National Security Agency uses software and cooperation from telecom and tech companies to hack and intercept communications and personal information from enemies, allies and American citizens. The revelations were later published in The Guardian and shared with The New York Times, The Washington Post and foreign news outlets.
Snowden has been charged with espionage and remains in political asylum in Russia. Greenwald has been charged with no crimes.
Greenwald earlier this year went to a new journalism venture called The Intercept, where he continues writing about revelations found in the Snowden documents.
Potolsky said he was able to attract Greenwald in part by reminding him the NSA's Utah Data Center resides in Bluffdale. The $2 billion facility stores data collected by the NSA and other intelligence agencies.
Potolsky said Greenwald will be paid an honorarium. Potolsky declined to specify the amount.
Twitter: @natecarlisle