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His commentary touched on the zkSnacks shutdown, free speech, and the proper treatment of farm animals.

Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the United States National Security Agency accused of espionage after leaking classified information, had a busy day on the X social media app on May 2 when he seemed to have a modicum of vitriol for everyone from the current governor of South Dakota to the world’s richest person. 

Snowden, an outspoken whistleblower who lived in asylum in Russia until 2022, when he was granted full citizenship in the country, has risen to media prominence in the wake of his whistleblower incident. Currently, he holds celebrity status, especially among some technology-based communities and is well known for speaking out on topics he considers related to freedom and privacy.

Another celebrity technologist who’s known for speaking out on issues related to freedom, Elon Musk, was among those who drew the ire of Snowden during his May 2nd tirade. After Musk posted a poll asking whether someone who “tears down the American flag and puts up another flag in its place” should be deported to the country whose flag they raised, Snowden chastised the billionaire with a lesson on freedom of expression.

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