Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who made global headlines after leaking thousands of National Security Agency documents, has officially joined Twitter.
Upon starting his new account, within an hour, he gained more than 185,000 followers after his first tweet: "Can you hear me now?"
Can you hear me now?
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Snowden's Twitter profile bears a blue and white check mark, indicating that the account is verified and Twitter acknowledges Snowden as the true owner of the account, according to CNN.
Snowden joining Twitter is particularly notable because of the warnings he gave to the public about how much the government can learn about an individual from his or her private and online communications.
He is following just one account: @NSAgov, the handle of the National Security Agency/Central Security Service.
"I used to work for the government. Now I work for the public," Snowden's profile reads.
On his account, he lists his current occupation as "Director at Freedom of the Press Foundation," a non-profit "dedicated to helping support and defend public-interest journalism focused on exposing mismanagement, corruption, and law-breaking in government."
Snowden is currently living in exile in Russia after first fleeing to Hong Kong, reported the Associated Press. He first fled from the U.S. after leaking thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Evan MacAskill, which were later published in The Guardian and The Washington Post. He faces charges that could land him in prison for up to 30 years in the U.S.
The NSA has yet to comment about this recent development.
