Obama's NSA review vindicates Snowden: Assange

US President Barack Obama's plan to review the country's surveillance programmes has validated fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's role as a whistle-blower, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said.

Obama has outlined steps to reform intelligence gathering measures, saying the classified leaks by Snowden created a public distrust in programmes meant to safeguard Americans.

"As Snowden has stated, his biggest concern was if he blew the whistle and change did not occur," CNN quoted Assange as saying in a statement.

"Well, reforms are taking shape, and for that, the president and people of the United States and around the world owe Edward Snowden a debt of gratitude."

Obama has refused any characterisation of Snowden as a "whistle-blower" or "patriot", saying there were "other avenues" the former National Security Agency contractor could have taken instead of leaking national security surveillance information.

"The simple fact is that without Snowden's disclosures, no one would know about the programs and no reforms could take place," Assange said.

Assange released the statement from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over alleged sex crimes.