Top tech blunders, catastrophes and epic fails of 2013

Summary: Thanksgiving is over, and we're already deep into December. It's time for a look back at all the blunders, catastrophes, epic fails and major screw-ups of 2013.

In June, U.S. former government contractor Edward Snowden blew the lid on one of the world's biggest secrets in living history: the U.S. government was engaged in a massive global dragnet surveillance operation.

The leaks sparked mass debate around the world between national security priorities and citizen civil liberties. It was a massive punch in the face for the White House, which had spent decades keeping the spying programs under wraps. 

Snowden was charged with espionage, but ultimately fled to Russia under the former-Communist country's protection, and out of the U.S.' reach. But additional leaks implicated other nations, including those of the "Five Eyes" — the U.K., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It was a government stuff-up on epic proportions.

It was without doubt the epic fail of the year — allowing Snowden to walk away with tens of thousands of documents that detail in near-exact detail how the U.S. and other countries spy on each other (and themselves).

Image: Seth Rosenblatt/CNET

Zack Whittaker writes for ZDNet, CNET, and CBS News. He is based in New York City.