The father of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has pleaded with his son to stop leaking information and to return home to the US, even if he faces a jail sentence.

Snowden, a 29-year-old former NSA contractor, is in hiding in Hong Kong after admitting to the most significant leak of classified US information in decades.

Lonnie Snowden sought to dispel rumours such as his son being a “high school dropout” during an interview with Fox News, which he also used to send a message to his son:

“We want you to be safe, we want you to be happy, but I know you’re your own man and you’re going to do what you feel that you have to do,” he said.

“I believe firmly that you are a man of principle. I believe in your character. I don’t know what you’ve seen, but I just ask that you measure what you’re going to do and not release any more information.”

Snowden also spoke of his concerns for his son and the way he was being talked about in the media.

“I'm here because I'm really concerned about the misinformation in the media. He is a sensitive, caring young man. This is the Ed that I know,” said Snowden.

“He just is a deep thinker.”

The interview with Fox journalist Eric Bolling has not aired in full, but several clips have been released.

Speaking on the TV show Fox & Friends, Bolling said Snowden was concerned for his other children, and wanted to preserve their privacy.

Snowden also said he disagreed with the surveillance actions of the US government and security agencies, which his son revealed by leaking classified NSA documents to the Guardian.

"I don't want them reading my email," said Snowden.

"I don't want them reading my text. In my opinion they have no right. Not even under the guise of ‘Oh we need to keep you safe’.

"If we say, ‘Oh my gosh we're going to have to sacrifice our freedom because of the threat of terrorism,’ well then the terrorists have already won because it's our freedoms that make us Americans."

In a live Q&A with Guardian readers from a secret location in Hong Kong, Edward Snowden hinted that there was more information to come.