The Justice Department aims to "recover all proceeds" from the whistleblower's new book. Snowden said the move shows his memoir, "Permanent Record," is "so truthful that it was literally against the law to write."

The US government filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Edward Snowden seeking to prevent former CIA employee and National Security Agency contractor from profiting from his new book.

The Justice Department said Snowden violated non-disclosure agreements he had signed with the CIA and National Security Agency requiring the government to review the book first.

The Justice Department is seeking to "recover all proceeds" from Snowden's memoir, "Permanent Record," which went on sale Tuesday.  The lawsuit also names the publisher of the book, Macmillan.

Snowden, who lives in Russia to avoid arrest, is wanted by the United States on espionage charges for releasing troves of classified information on US intelligence agencies' secret surveillance programs.

"The United States' ability to protect sensitive national security information depends on employees' and contractors' compliance with their non-disclosure agreements, including their pre-publication review obligations," Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt said in a statement. "We will not permit individuals to enrich themselves, at the expense of the United States, without complying with their pre-publication review obligations."