Professor Shannon Vallor’s theoretical framework of technomoral virtue ethics identifies character traits that can be cultivated to foster a future worth wanting in an environment of (mostly digital) emerging technologies. Such technologies and increased citizen participation in the new digital environment have reconfigured what is possible in policing and intelligence-gathering more quickly, perhaps, than sober and sensible policy reflection and formulation can keep pace with. Sensational and dramatic, seismic and devastating, the Snowden disclosures represent a particular expression of dissent against American intelligence community exploitation of emerging technologies in undertaking mass surveillance on a global scale. Responses to Snowden’s actions, and perceptions of the (dis)value of the disclosures he made, are polarized. Polar opposites equate to vices in the Aristotlean view that posits virtue as the middle way. Here, the theoretical framework of technomoral virtue ethics is used for objective evaluation of Snowden’s asserted motivations and documented actions against the benchmark of good cyber-citizenship that the framework describes. The fact that Snowden’s account is strongly disputed by the U.S. Government does not in and of itself invalidate a theoretical evaluation. It is not the probative value of Snowden’s account that is being tested, but how the narrative presented measures up to an ethical framework.

香农·瓦洛（Shannon Vallor）教授的技术美德伦理学理论框架确定了可以培育的性格特征，以培育在（主要是数字的）新兴技术环境中值得拥有的未来。此类技术和越来越多的公民参与新的数字环境已经重新配置了警务和情报收集中可能的速度，这可能比清醒而明智的政策反思和制定能够与时俱进。斯诺登的影片令人震惊，引人注目，震撼人心，破坏性很大，这是对美国情报界对新兴技术在全球范围内进行大规模监视的剥削持不同意见的一种特殊表达。对斯诺登的举动的回应，以及对斯诺登所作披露的（贬值）价值的看法，是两极化的。在亚里士多德的观点中，对立的对立面等同于恶习，认为美德是中间的途径。在这里，技术美德伦理学的理论框架被用于客观评估斯诺登宣称的动机和已记录的行动，反对该框架所描述的良好网络公民的基准。美国政府强烈反对斯诺登的说法，这本身并不会使理论评估无效。测试的不是斯诺登账目的证明价值，而是陈述的叙述如何衡量一个道德框架。技术美德伦理学的理论框架用于客观评估斯诺登的主张动机和已记录的行动，并对照该框架所描述的良好网络公民基准。美国政府强烈反对斯诺登的说法，这本身并不会使理论评估无效。测试的不是斯诺登账目的证明价值，而是陈述的叙述如何衡量一个道德框架。技术美德伦理学的理论框架被用来客观评估斯诺登的主张动机，并对照该框架所描述的良好网络公民基准来记录所采取的行动。美国政府强烈反对斯诺登的说法，这本身并不会使理论评估无效。测试的不是斯诺登账目的证明价值，而是陈述的叙述如何衡量一个道德框架。