>I do not understand why the Guardien would ever give up the information voluntarily.
Because they spent 15 seconds backing up the Snowden files on an anonymous Google Drive account and knew that GCHQ's attempts to destroy the files were futile? Or because they knew that Glenn Greenwald -- writing for them at the time -- was living in another hemisphere, had a full set of the files, and wasn't about to comply? Or because they didn't want to go to prison?
Pick your answer. Each is possible. Note I'm not faulting the Guardian here, just saying what some possibilities are.
Because they spent 15 seconds backing up the Snowden files on an anonymous Google Drive account and knew that GCHQ's attempts to destroy the files were futile? Or because they knew that Glenn Greenwald -- writing for them at the time -- was living in another hemisphere, had a full set of the files, and wasn't about to comply? Or because they didn't want to go to prison?
Pick your answer. Each is possible. Note I'm not faulting the Guardian here, just saying what some possibilities are.