Edward Snowden Joins Twitter, Follows The NSA

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:

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.