A year after The Guardian’s first Edward Snowden revelations the paper this week faced renewed derision from rival newspapers in the UK.
Today, The Sun reported claims that hundreds of GCHQ spies have had to draw up contingency plans for moving their children to safety as a result of the Snowden leaks – which were said to include 58,000 GCHQ documents.
A senior GCHQ officer told The Sun: "We have to presume all our names are out there.
"I have designed an egress plan for my children, and I know a lot of others have for their families too.”
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And The Sun said in a leader column: "Let’s remember the catastrophic damage done to them by the treachery of CIA leaker Edward Snowden.
"Spies at GCHQ, targeting terrorists round the clock, now live in fear of their families’ identities being exposed to our enemies by the secret files he stole before fleeing to Russia.
"Hundreds have made emergency evacuation plans for their kids.
"And for what?
"Overblown scare stories about spooks looking at people’s phone records, all gleefully published by the smug know-alls of The Guardian.
"In 1944 Britain did not have time for liberal hand-wringing over the nation’s security.
"It is a dangerous indulgence in 2014 too."
The Daily Mail continues to describe Snowden as a “traitor” rather than a whistbleblower, who it believes endangered public safety.
Meanwhile,the Sunday People said this week said in a front page story that Snowden had left the UK “wide open to attack”.
A Whitehall source told the paper: “Parts of the radar have gone dark and that is very worrying. Snowden has committed the worst kind of treachery.”
In a leader column The People said: “Thanks to Edward Snowden we will all be a little safe in our beds tonight.
“To those who published the secret documents the US whistleblower stole, Snowden is a hero.
“To those of us who value our freedom to live in peace he is a menace.
"By revealing how US and UK spy agencies monitor the internet he has made it easier for terrorists to hide from view. And that makes it easier for them to attack us.”
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger has said he has seen no evidence that Snowden has put anyone in danger. And he has also made the point that The Guardian took care not to publish anything which could put lives at risk.
He told MPs last year: "The next Edward Snowden won’t go to a newspaper they will dump this stuff on the internet.”
The Guardian was named joint winner of the Pulizer Prize in April and also newspaper of the year at The Press Awards.
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