Goverment agents asked to stay away from hacking convention following Snowden PRISM revelations

Actions of US government makes delegates 'uncomfortable', convention founder says

Federal government personnel have been asked to stay away from the DEF CON hacking conference for the first time in its 21-year history, with "recent revelations" such as Prism and the Edward Snowden (pictured) affair cited as making delegates uncomfortable.

"For over two decades DEF CON has been an open nexus of hacker culture, a place where seasoned pros, hackers, academics, and feds can meet, share ideas and party on neutral territory. Our community operates in the spirit of openness, verified trust, and mutual respect," DEF CON founder and cyber security adviser for the Department of Homeland security Jeff Moss said in a statement posted on the event's website.

"When it comes to sharing and socialising with feds, recent revelations have made many in the community uncomfortable about this relationship. Therefore, I think it would be best for everyone involved if the feds call a 'time-out' and not attend DEF CON this year.

"This will give everybody time to think about how we got here, and what comes next," he added.

The request for federal agents to stay away has been made in an attempt to defuse tension between the authorities and the hacking community following what some believe is the harsh treatment of Prism whistle-blower Snowden after he accused the US government of collecting data about internet use and mobile phone calls.

DEF CON is the world's largest hacking convention and takes place next month in Las Vegas. It attracts a crowd of more than 15,000 hackers, researchers, security experts and, previously, some government agents. Indeed, the authorities have often used the event to recruit security experts to fight cyber crime