Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has joined Twitter.
His first tweet:
But perhaps the most telling detail of the nascent account is that the only account he is currently following is that of the National Security Agency.
Remember, Snowden sought asylum in Russia after he leaked a trove of classified information to reporters. The U.S. government has charged him with espionage and theft and has called for him to come back home to face the consequences of his actions.
Shortly after his first Tweet, Snowden responded to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who welcomed him to Twitter.
This conversation ensued:
.@neiltyson Thanks for the welcome. And now we've got water on Mars! Do you think they check passports at the border? Asking for a friend.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Ed @Snowden, If you visit Mars, I'd bet any life forms there will greet you with a sip of that water -- and a tourist visa.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) September 29, 2015
And, Ed @Snowden, glad to see the long exile hasn't affected your sense of humor. Staying busy?
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) September 29, 2015
.@neiltyson Surveillance never sleeps, and secret projects @FreedomofPress are keeping me busy, but I still find time for cat pictures.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Ed @Snowden, many call you Hero, others Traitor. Whatever else you are, you’re a Geek to me. What do you say to those labels?
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) September 29, 2015
.@neiltyson Hero, traitor -- I'm just a citizen with a voice. [1/2]
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
.@neiltyson, @DanielEllsberg told me #labels never stopped progress. Neither in 1776 nor today. [2/2] pic.twitter.com/CzRZ6ur6xc
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Ed @Snowden, after discussing everything from Chemistry to the Constitution on #StarTalk, you're a patriot to me. Stay safe.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) September 29, 2015
It's worth noting that Snowden's account also includes photographs of newspapers with the front-page news that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had found the bulk collection of Americans' phone data was illegal, going beyond what Congress intended when it wrote Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
Snowden's leaks helped shed light on the secretive surveillance programs undertaken by the NSA. It also sparked a congressional debate about the practices that ultimately led to the USA Freedom Act, which will end the bulk collection of Americans' phone data as it currently operates.
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