Edward Snowden will deliver the “Alternative Christmas Address” on Britain’s Channel 4. In the past, the address was given by figures such as Ali G and Sharon Osborne. The “Alternative Christmas Address” is the channel’s answer to the Queen’s message to the country.

Snowden will say “Great Britain’s George Orwell warned us of the danger of this kind of information. The types of collection in the book – microphones and video cameras, TVs that watch us are nothing compared to what we have available today. We have sensors in our pockets that track us everywhere we go. Think about what this means for the privacy of the average person.”

The head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4 explained, “Edward Snowden’s decision to reveal the extent of surveillance programmes was one of the most significant news events of the year. The information which he has placed in the public domain raises serious questions for democratic society. This is an opportunity for our viewers to hear from him directly and judge for themselves what he has to say.”

Snowden will end his message with a positive note, “Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel asking is always cheaper than spying.”